By BAKANG MOKOTO
More than 5000 RDP houses to be built in the North West province. This was announced by the North West Human Settlements Department’s acting head, James Mashigo recently. Mashigo said the project will prioritise women, youth, people with disabilities, child headed households and elderly people.
“The construction of low cost houses was halted for the past three years due to external and internal administrative challenges. However, following the adoption of new tactics and strategies, the department declared that in the next few months, the province will be turned into a construction site.
“Our sole purpose is to build habitable homes for legible beneficiaries as well as prioritising vulnerable groups. Thus far, eight contractors have been officially appointed and further anticipate that 24 more will be appointed in the next few weeks,” he said.
Mashigo further said the department hopes that as soon as every serviced site has been identified and a contractor appointed, work will begin. He added that he believes that over five thousand houses would have been delivered by March next year.
“I also want to appeal to all municipalities, especially municipal managers to work closely with appointed developers to ensure that delivery is fast tracked. We want to see electorates receiving houses promised by the government.
“Government has taken a resolution that it will build houses on serviced land with water, sewer and other basic amenities. We do this mainly to ensure that after we hand over a house to a beneficiary, all services are available,” Mashigo said.
He also urges all municipalities to do their part and work with them. Mashigo said the work will commence as soon as they are done appointing every contractor in all identified projects.
“The department further calls on local councillors and beneficiaries to be part of these projects, mainly to ensure that issues such as illegal occupation, shoddy workmanship and other challenges are evaded.
“We are grateful that municipalities welcomed the appointments and agreed that 30% of the local labour force will be from the local communities,” said Mashigo.
Meanwhile, one of the contractors appointed to build 200 units in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati district, Palesa Pitso from Kgantso Trading Enterprise, promised to work together with the community of Devondale outside Vryburg.
“I promise to work together with them and to deliver those houses on time. I am now part of this community and we will work closely with them to ensure that we deliver quality houses on time as the department expected,” she said.
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