Government-built houses in Peddie Extension have been left unfinished, exposing them to vandalism.
As a result, about 15 houses are being used as livestock kraals. Residents have also started to illegally dump, while others have been stripping them of roof tiles and other material. The Ngqushwa Municipality, which was expected to allocate the houses to their owners, has been blamed for their current state.
When the Saturday Dispatch visited the area this week, 15 unfinished houses were used as a shelter for livestock by locals and were overrun with litter inside.
Other houses are being used as illegal dumping sites.
“The contractor stopped working because they had no money to pay the sub-contractors to continue with the work. It is not just in Peddie Extension, people of German village were promised houses but that never materialised,” said EFF PR councillor Siphosenkosi Gwavu.
He criticised the municipality for the placements confusion that led to the vandalism of houses in the area.
Two years ago there was confusion as to who were the righful beneficiaries of the houses.
This led to the vandalism of dozens of houses that had already been finished.
“The municipality failed the people, they failed to properly engage people on the matter . Now most people are unemployed because they can’t get accommodation close to town.
“There are many people who constantly ask about these houses. The municipality can’t even trace their original occupants. Some don’t even want the houses, some people have died but the municipality and human settlements fail to do proper check-ups,” said Gwavu.
Late last year Eastern Cape human settlements MEC Helen Sauls-August announced that municipalities should start with the de-registration process for unclaimed houses. The process was to de-register beneficiaries who had not claimed their houses within three months, so that they could be given to new beneficiaries on the waiting list.
This was to ensure that houses were not vandalised.
“What we know is that Peddie has been struggling to find the original beneficiaries of these houses. If people are still vandalising they should start with the de-registration process. If there hasn’t been a beneficiary who comes forward, then they could allocate the house to someone who has been on the waiting list,” said provincial human settlements spokesman Lwandile Sicwetsha.
Ngqushwa Municipality spokeswoman Ncumisa Cakwe referred questions to Amathole regional head of human settlements Desmond Ramanyadiwa.
Ramanyadiwa said the process of advertising to trace the housing beneficiaries was the municipality’s responsibility.
Sicwetsha confirmed that they had elevated the issue of rectification to the national department. — mandilakhek@dispatch.co.za
New Peddie houses fall to ruin
As a result, about 15 houses are being used as livestock kraals. Residents have also started to illegally dump, while others have been stripping them of roof tiles and other material. The Ngqushwa Municipality, which was expected to allocate the houses to their owners, has been blamed for their current state.
When the Saturday Dispatch visited the area this week, 15 unfinished houses were used as a shelter for livestock by locals and were overrun with litter inside.
Other houses are being used as illegal dumping sites.
“The contractor stopped working because they had no money to pay the sub-contractors to continue with the work. It is not just in Peddie Extension, people of German village were promised houses but that never materialised,” said EFF PR councillor Siphosenkosi Gwavu.
He criticised the municipality for the placements confusion that led to the vandalism of houses in the area.
Two years ago there was confusion as to who were the righful beneficiaries of the houses.
This led to the vandalism of dozens of houses that had already been finished.
“The municipality failed the people, they failed to properly engage people on the matter . Now most people are unemployed because they can’t get accommodation close to town.
“There are many people who constantly ask about these houses. The municipality can’t even trace their original occupants. Some don’t even want the houses, some people have died but the municipality and human settlements fail to do proper check-ups,” said Gwavu.
Late last year Eastern Cape human settlements MEC Helen Sauls-August announced that municipalities should start with the de-registration process for unclaimed houses. The process was to de-register beneficiaries who had not claimed their houses within three months, so that they could be given to new beneficiaries on the waiting list.
This was to ensure that houses were not vandalised.
“What we know is that Peddie has been struggling to find the original beneficiaries of these houses. If people are still vandalising they should start with the de-registration process. If there hasn’t been a beneficiary who comes forward, then they could allocate the house to someone who has been on the waiting list,” said provincial human settlements spokesman Lwandile Sicwetsha.
Ngqushwa Municipality spokeswoman Ncumisa Cakwe referred questions to Amathole regional head of human settlements Desmond Ramanyadiwa.
Ramanyadiwa said the process of advertising to trace the housing beneficiaries was the municipality’s responsibility.
Sicwetsha confirmed that they had elevated the issue of rectification to the national department. — mandilakhek@dispatch.co.za
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