The National Home Building Regulation Council (NHBRC) began a forensic audit into the Ugie housing project in the Eastern Cape on Monday, after a number of residents complained about poor workmanship.
Housing Minister Lindiwe Sisulu visited Ugie, accompanied by Sam Dube, director of Power Construction, the company responsible for building the homes in the late nineties.
"The NHBRC audit will determine the quality of the building work. We need to understand what went wrong here. If the contractor was at fault, he is here and committed to making good. If the municipality was at fault, the municipality is here too," assured Sisulu.
Dube told the gathered residents of Ugie that his company did not turn its back on its projects, it would accept responsibility for fixing structures, and was committed to "making good" where its builders had been at fault.
Department of Housing (DoH) spokesperson Ndivhuwo Mabaya reiterated that the department was concerned about compromised quality among housing projects and was "first and foremost committed to the safety of residents".
He explained that the NHBRC had been building internal capacity since its inception in 1998, and now had the capacity to undertake audits and investigations into the quality of homes built in South Africa. He also said that the level of inspection and quality surveys had been increased, and each housing project currently under way would have a full time NHBRC inspector to monitor progress.
He added that since 2006, the NHBRC has been directed to inspect all homes built, enrol them and ensure that they qualify for a warranty, which would be given to residents when the homes were handed over.
"Government is committed to providing quality homes, that could become tradeable assets for the people," added Sisulu.
Housing Minister Lindiwe Sisulu visited Ugie, accompanied by Sam Dube, director of Power Construction, the company responsible for building the homes in the late nineties.
"The NHBRC audit will determine the quality of the building work. We need to understand what went wrong here. If the contractor was at fault, he is here and committed to making good. If the municipality was at fault, the municipality is here too," assured Sisulu.
Dube told the gathered residents of Ugie that his company did not turn its back on its projects, it would accept responsibility for fixing structures, and was committed to "making good" where its builders had been at fault.
Department of Housing (DoH) spokesperson Ndivhuwo Mabaya reiterated that the department was concerned about compromised quality among housing projects and was "first and foremost committed to the safety of residents".
He explained that the NHBRC had been building internal capacity since its inception in 1998, and now had the capacity to undertake audits and investigations into the quality of homes built in South Africa. He also said that the level of inspection and quality surveys had been increased, and each housing project currently under way would have a full time NHBRC inspector to monitor progress.
He added that since 2006, the NHBRC has been directed to inspect all homes built, enrol them and ensure that they qualify for a warranty, which would be given to residents when the homes were handed over.
"Government is committed to providing quality homes, that could become tradeable assets for the people," added Sisulu.
The DoH aims to double housing delivery and has set the ambitious goal of clearing the housing backlog by the end of 2008.- Engineering News
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