Youth on the rampage in Mbekweni
2006-05-04
A MONTH ago, as the Municipality was on the verge of handing over the first eight houses completed in Project 2 in Mbekweni, a group of youths who were building the houses, went on the rampage.
On investigation, a story of miscommunication and inefficiency unfolded, resulting in the houses and a storage container for the project being vandalised and torched by the angry youths.
Project 2 has experienced a myriad of problems from the start, said Councillor Arthob Petersen, portfolio holder for housing at a recent meeting of the mayoral committee.
The project for 791 houses, stalled for eight years, was identified as a pilot project of the Provincial Department of Housing which developed a strategy in partnership with the Umsobomvu Youth Fund, the Eco City Trust and the Seta.
The programme is based on government’s People’s Housing Programme (PHP), where youths are trained in construction by Umsobomvu through Eco City and supported by the Seta.
The youths were to be trained while the houses were being built and receive a Seta accredited NQF 2 Community Builders Certificate at the end of a year.
The contract between the Western Cape Housing Development Board and Drakenstein Municipality for the Youth Leadership Programme was signed in August last year, but was delayed due to bureaucratic red tape.
Meanwhile, Drakenstein looked at alternative methods to resolve the problem and decided to construct 41 showhouses in order to fast-track delivery.
The Department of Housing deployed two Cuban technical advisors to assist as construction managers, but it was found that they could not prepare tender documents, arrange site meetings or evaluate the tender report for the delivery of materials or construction of the 41 houses.
Drakenstein was forced to appoint a consultant to do the work.
Tender prices for the material and construction of the 41 houses exceeded the available budget and it was decided that quotations be obtained from local builders.
Tiny Jacobs of PJ Painting and Cleaning Service was appointed and commenced with construction on 11 November.
Apart from problems with beneficiaries not paying their water deposits on time and with the Cuban technical advisors failing to fulfil their commitments, it was also found that the builder lacked the capacity and experience for this type of housing projects.
During late January 50 youths started with their learnership at Boland College, but in February they refused to continue with classes until they received clarity on the stipend promised to them by the Department of Housing and Eco City. Furthermore, no safety clothes were issued to them.
The Department of Housing committed themselves to pay a stipend of R500 per month per learner and provide safety clothes.
The builder would utilise the learners, under the supervision of the Tjeka Trainers.
When no payments or clothing were received, the learners took matters into their own hands and locked the staff working at the materials container inside the premises.
They demanded to speak to the contractor, the project manager and the head of housing before they would set the staff free.
The relevant parties rushed to the scene and promised remuneration by the following week, but by the next Friday nothing had
happened. “All hell broke loose” with the learners vandalising the eight houses that they had helped to build.
They damaged the walls, ripped out the ceilings and window frames, putting fire to everything flammable. The container where the material was stored, was also set on fire.
When a few of the protesters were apprehended by the police, the rest handed themselves over too. They spent the weekend behind bars and appeared in the Paarl magistrate’s court on 3 April.
The case was postponed and the learners got free bail until their next appearance.
Councillor Petersen recommended to the Mayoral Committee that any further involvement of the youths in the project be terminated temporarily. He said they should first be trained by the authorities and issued with safety clothes.
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