A stalled housing project meant to home 1500 beneficiaries is back on track with a new contractor.
The multimillion-rand scheme in Mdantsane’s NU18 near Potsdam is called CC 18 Phase 2.
It was terminated last year because of a “lack of capacity” from the appointed company.
Now building activity is expected to start again next week, first on provision of bulk infrastructure.
Ward 23 councillor Veliwe Sakube told the Daily Dispatch yesterday that the new company had been introduced to beneficiaries on Monday and that the contractor was expected to be on site on June 1.
Sakube said the first phase of the project would see internal services being completed for only 500 houses.
She said the project had been terminated last year after it was discovered that the appointed company “lacked the capacity to do the job”.
As the project ground to a halt, Sakube’s ward was the scene of violent protests from frustrated and disappointed shack dwellers demanding homes that kept the rain out.
The project’s revival will see people from informal settlements in NU12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 benefiting. Sakube said two Potsdam villages would also benefit.
“The houses are for the people who have lived in shacks for years. Military veterans, elderly people, backyard shacks and the disabled will also be catered for in the 1500 allocation.
“The beneficiaries were delighted when we told them the news this week. More than anything, people want their houses.
“With the old contractor we experienced a lot of problems.
“The company did not have money and even their workers complained of not being paid.
“The quality of their work was shoddy and hence the project was terminated,” Sakube said, adding that BCM hoped there would be no similar problems with the new company.
This time BCM had separated the infrastructure work from top-structure construction work.
Municipal public accounts committee chairman Sakhumzi Caga said in his report before council on Tuesday that acting city manager Nceba Ncunyana needed to submit a report detailing why the project was terminated, giving time frames and costs expected for the completion of the project.
Caga said the metro’s housing developments did not impress and there were “clear indications of inadequate planning”. — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
Fresh start for housing project
The multimillion-rand scheme in Mdantsane’s NU18 near Potsdam is called CC 18 Phase 2.
It was terminated last year because of a “lack of capacity” from the appointed company.
Now building activity is expected to start again next week, first on provision of bulk infrastructure.
Ward 23 councillor Veliwe Sakube told the Daily Dispatch yesterday that the new company had been introduced to beneficiaries on Monday and that the contractor was expected to be on site on June 1.
Sakube said the first phase of the project would see internal services being completed for only 500 houses.
She said the project had been terminated last year after it was discovered that the appointed company “lacked the capacity to do the job”.
As the project ground to a halt, Sakube’s ward was the scene of violent protests from frustrated and disappointed shack dwellers demanding homes that kept the rain out.
The project’s revival will see people from informal settlements in NU12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 benefiting. Sakube said two Potsdam villages would also benefit.
“The houses are for the people who have lived in shacks for years. Military veterans, elderly people, backyard shacks and the disabled will also be catered for in the 1500 allocation.
“The beneficiaries were delighted when we told them the news this week. More than anything, people want their houses.
“With the old contractor we experienced a lot of problems.
“The company did not have money and even their workers complained of not being paid.
“The quality of their work was shoddy and hence the project was terminated,” Sakube said, adding that BCM hoped there would be no similar problems with the new company.
This time BCM had separated the infrastructure work from top-structure construction work.
Municipal public accounts committee chairman Sakhumzi Caga said in his report before council on Tuesday that acting city manager Nceba Ncunyana needed to submit a report detailing why the project was terminated, giving time frames and costs expected for the completion of the project.
Caga said the metro’s housing developments did not impress and there were “clear indications of inadequate planning”. — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
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