
THE local government and human settlement department will hand over a housing project in Extension 39 to the Mahikeng local municipality. The project reached its completion and Eskom was busy installing a temporary transformer on Wednesday.
The project caused R40.5m and was a two-storey with 100 units. Mahikeng local municipality acting chief director for division planning, Tebogo Phaedi said they looking at generating revenue. Phaedi said the project will boost the economy and catered for middle class.
“We have completed the project and Eskom is busy installing transformer so that the area can be electrified. The area had no electricity, but we will put in tenants amid the installation of electricity. The project was completed in December 2015. This will benefit people who earn from R800 to R3500.
“We will outsource the service of property management. We have already advertised the post for property management and we expect to hire the service provider in weeks to come. We also discussing the individual billing system,” he said.
Acting provincial chief director on housing development unit for local government and human settlements, Vusi Bidi said: “Historically, federal housing played a role in creating many of today’s economic. We know that access to quality affordable housing is a crucial aspect in the development of sustainable communities. Many people flock to areas like Mahikeng for greener pastures and that makes accommodations to be in demand.
“As housing prices rise, families and individuals in our communities struggle to find and keep places to live, and access to healthcare, education, and employment is put at risk. We are also planning on expanding the units so that more people can be catered for. As the department, we will also have the landscape in the area for leisure time. We want to develop the area into family household even though it is rental.”
However the North West provincial legislature’s portfolio committee on local government and human settlement was less impressed. The committee chairperson, Motlalepula Rosho said the local government and human settlements must do oversight visit. She highlighted this after the department’s housing project in Unit 3 was marred with challenges.
“We urge the department to do oversight visit to all their projects. Now they have spent R54 million on a Community Residential Unit project in Unit 3, Mmabatho. The project has been abandoned as we speak. The monies were never accounted for. This was very reckless by department in spending public funds without verifying the details pertaining to the contract.
“Anybody can see that the department entered into this thing recklessly. One thing that I’ve realised is that they are not doing oversight on their projects. There is no value for money here and there is huge demand for accommodation in Mahikeng. R54 million is gone and it cannot be accounted for. Marang Real Estate is not even coming on board. The municipality itself issued a title deed without verifying whether the money was paid or not,” she said.
“This matter has to be investigated, the department must recover that R54 million. We are going to hold the municipality accountable as well as this is for the interest of our communities and government. How do they give a person a title deed without even paying all the money the land was purchased for?” asked Rosho.
According to Rosho, they will call the head of department for human settlements, the municipality and the developers to come and account. She said explanation was needed as to what actually happened in unit 3 project. Rosho said they also wanted to know their intentions going forward.
The Economic Freedom Fighters representative, Thabo Sehloho said: “As the EFF and part of the North West Legislature’s portfolio committee, indeed we are very shock about the outcome of this project. All the processes were not followed properly. Even the municipality highlighted that the land was sold for R89m, but only purchased for R5m. We will call for a probe on the matter because the public money was used here.”
-TDN
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