An unbearable sewerage stench, lack of electricity and poor living conditions are what a Limpopo community has been subjected to for five years as a multimillion-rand housing project meant to change their lives remains incomplete.
Temporary residents of Altoostyd (Joe Slovo) informal settlement in Lephalale were relocated to corrugated shacks in 2017 to make way for 514 Marapong Community Residential Units (CRU) and were promised they would occupy the units on completion of the project.
But five years down the line, the R300m modern housing project remains incomplete with broken windows and falling ceilings. There are open trenches on the construction site and it has became a den for criminals.
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Joe Slovo community leader Dickson Seanego told Sowetan they felt the government has dumped them on a farm without basic services.
“There are 233 shacks here and all of us were removed from the area to give space for those units. The project is not finished and we are left here sharing a single toilet and there is no electricity, to add to the list,” Seanego said.
He said all the community members are forced to use one toilet because the other two had never been operational.
“We are worried about our wellbeing because the burst sceptic tank has been giving us an unbearable stench for years and no-one cares to come and fix it. There is also an open pit toilet, which may cause harm to our children because they play all about the place and may end up falling inside,” said Seanego.
Another resident, Simon Manganyi, who was pushing a trolley loaded with firewood, also blamed the government for the poor living conditions in the area.
“There is no electricity, hence you see this firewood. I'm going to prepare fire to cook. It has been many years since government promised us electricity but they are all quiet,” he said.
Manganyi said during the rainy season his two-room shack leaks and gets waterlogged.
“This is not a place for human beings... almost every shack is leaking. I wish government could complete those units for us to have decent homes,” he said.
The Marapong CRU was launched in 2016 with the aim of relocating hostel dwellers but it has extended its completion date four times due to challenges.
According to a progress report on the project, which was compiled early in May, the Limpopo department of human settlements had already spent R161m for 49% of the work that was done.
The project's original duration was 24 months, with site handover being held on December 2017, while the completion date was expected to be Dec. 7, 2017.
Three requests for time extensions were submitted and processed.
This led to the revised completion date of April 15 this year but again the project missed the completion deadline.
Department spokesperson Papiki Tjebane confirmed that the project expenditure to date was R161m for construction of blocks for rental units, installation of bulk sewer and electricity services.
“The project was initially delayed by the informal settlers who were reluctant to relocate to allow site clearance. Second, the project experienced stoppages due to the late payment of subcontractors by the main contractor, and the contractor was also issued with an occupational health and safety non-compliance [notice] and instructed to vacate the site until they correct the deviation,” he said.
Tjebane said the construction permit from the department of employment & labour was the only thing outstanding before the contractor can resume work on site.
“The project now is allocated R144m. It should be noted that these extensions of time had financial implications, which amounted to R8m,” he said.
A security guard at Marapong, who wished to remain anonymous, told Sowetan criminals have been stealing building materials including cement, roof tiles, lights, electrical cables and water pipes.
“Criminals and nyaope guys have stolen everything they could lay their hands on. Some of the subcontractors come at night to take the materials because they are owed money for work done,” he said.
Mbuso Mthembu, director of one of the contractors, Qinisa Consulting, said he had opened a case of theft after materials worth R12m were stolen from the site.
“When I went to the site on Tuesday I found that electric cables, scaffolding, roof tiles and other things were stolen. I'm worried that I'm going to lose everything I left on the site and no-one is saying anything about the continuation,” he said.
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