RDP houses are leaking in Mbekweni
2009-06-25
Sabelo Mpana
RESIDENTS of houses in Project 2 in Mbekweni say the asbestos roofing of the houses are leaking, only a few years after they were erected. These houses were built in 2004 and now have become a problem to the beneficiaries as roofing and doors are deteriorating. Mzuvukile Ntshauzana (42), father of three who works as a security guard, says: “Every time when I am at work during night shift and it is raining, I worry a lot about the safety of my family. “The ceiling in my house is falling apart and it can fall on top of us any time. The whole floor gets wet when it is raining. Water comes through the walls of the house. “The first time when this roof was installed in my house I noticed cracks in the asbestos and complained about it. I was told that the problem will be solved. That was in 2004, but until today nothing has happened.” Some of the houses are covered with plastic sheeting to protect the residents on rainy days. In one of the houses, the interior wall moves as the door closes. “It is very expensive to stay in this house because we have to keep on replacing our furniture. After I had to dispose of the wardrobe in my kids’ room, I won’t buy another one until the problem is solved,” said Ntshauzana’s wife. Monica Cingci, mother of four who stays in Loliwe Street in Thembani, says: “Six months after moving into this house, I first experienced water leaking down the wall from the roof. “Due to the water on the ceiling our electricity has shorted. Our electrical box keeps tripping because the water gets into the light globes. “Now I cannot use my electricity when it is raining, because it can cause a fire in my house.” “Sometimes I miss my shack. I never had such problems when I stayed in the shack. “The Municipality should just come and take their poor house. All my furniture has been damaged by the rain since I have been living in the brick house,” added Cingci. Residents are unhappy that more recent beneficiaries have received houses with tile roofing. According to municipal spokesperson May Carolissen, the Thembani People’s Housing Project was approved by the Western Cape Housing Development Board (WCHDB) in 2004. The developer was Thembani Support Organisation. “It is not normal that houses leak after only five years, but it can happen if defective materials were used. “The ward councillor brought the matter to our attention on behalf of the beneficiaries. However, the Municipality cannot repair the roofs as we were not the provider of the material. “Our office is of the opinion that the supplier must replace the sheet and will request that the process to be fast tracked.”
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