Thursday, September 3, 2009

MEC admits to shoddy N2 Gateway construction

The Western Cape Housing MEC has admitted some flats in the N2 Gateway development are so badly built they should be demolished.

Bonginkosi Madikizela says he now understands why tenants refuse to pay rent.

N2 Gateway tenants reportedly owe the national government over R7 million in outstanding rent.

So far, the Human Settlements Department has only been able to recoup R600 000.

Madikizela says in some cases the shoddy workmanship cannot be rectified.

“Some of the units, it will not actually help to fix them. I think a possible solution which is something very difficult to do would be just to demolish the building you know and start afresh.”

JOE SLOVO RESIDENTS FEND FOR THEMSELVES

At the same time, informal settlers in Joe Slovo in Langa say they believe they are capable of building their own homes.

The Constitutional Court halted the eviction of the squatters from an area where authorities wanted to build homes as part of the troubled Gateway project.

The court ruled that 70 percent of the houses should go to Joe Slovo inhabitants.

Community leader Mzwanele Zulu says a study has been done to determine exactly how many homes are needed.

“From the community’s point of view we are able and capable of doing development. We’ve done a numeration, we’ve gathered information, we’ve got findings that we are planning to share all this information with the government," says Zulu.

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