Municipality in for high jump over RDP housing conditions

Municipality in for high jump over RDP housing conditions

PARLIAMENTARIANS were less than satisfied with the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality when they found water leakage in Veeplaas during their oversight visit to RDP houses in Nelson Mandela Bay yesterday.
Veeplaas resident Mkhuseli Siganga told them the water had been leaking for more than three weeks and they had alerted the municipality, but nothing had been done.
The chairman of the portfolio committee on human settlements, Nomhle Dambuza, said the municipality had to be accountable for the water leakage and she could not believe, given the water crisis, that it had not reacted immediately.
“We say there is not enough water in South Africa and our people live without water, yet our municipalities allow huge amounts of water to gush out in leakages without repairing them for weeks.”
The committee embarked on a week-long visit to Eastern Cape RDP houses and were in Port Elizabeth yesterday to assess the quality and quantity of houses delivered.
Areas which they visited with municipal and council officials included Matthew Goniwe, Kamvelihle, Veeplaas, Zanemvula in Despatch and Ramaphosa in Motherwell.
Dambuza said issues such as sanitation and water had to be rectified by the end of next year.
“The provincial Department of Housing is still using the old system of building houses where people do not have sanitation and water.”
Dambuza said progress had been slow and she had noticed problems with areas such as Matthew Goniwe still using the bucket system.
Matthew Goniwe resident Nokuzola Dlamini said: “We live without toilets and water. When I have to use the toilet I have to use a bucket then empty it on our grounds. This house that was built for us is not fit for human habitation.”
Dlamini lives with her husband and two children, aged five and eight, in a one-bedroom home.
“They (government officials) have come with promises so many times I no longer believe what they say.”
Siganga said: “We have had problems with our water supply for over six months and our living conditions are appalling because water leaks from the toilets to our front doors.”
Dambuza said: “People must be given water and proper sanitation.”
She said she would report to parliament the defects in the RDP housing system and ensure necessary steps were taken to hold the responsible municipal officials accountable.