The next posting in this blog is a load of utter rubbish spewed by Director General of the Ministry of Housing/Human Settlements Itumeleng Kotsoane setting out the lessons learned from the N2 Gateway pilot project/showcase/disaster. The REAL LESSONS to be learnt from the N2 Gateway are as follows:
Lesson 0: Motive. Why build the N2 Gateway where it is? Not the "housing for all" excuse. The reason the N2 was built where it is, is to hide the "unsightly" informal settlements from arriving eyes. The idea was to build all along the N2 corridor so that the suffering of the people was out of sight. Out of sight out of mind! Rubbish motive... rubbish project...
Lesson 1: Site evaluation Before doing any real work on a project a proper investigation should be done into the site. This does not have to take long, but it should be long enough to spot the fact that the planned work is in a flood plain. Dig a hole and see what is under there!
Lesson 2: Planning No spade should be lifted until the ENTIRE project is planned. Include some lebensraum while you are at it. The N2 Gateway is shit! The communal areas are terrible. It's all dingy in there and it's obvious no one thought about where the water must go when it rains.
Lesson 3: Budget A complete AND REALISTIC budget must be drawn up before work starts. Not only does the budget have to be drawn up, but the best price for each item which is needed should be costed and CONFIRMED. No point rocking up at the supplier 6 months later to find that prices have doubled.
Lesson 4: Execution Construction companies for construction, IT companies for IT jobs. Having an IT company which "did not submit a substantial document; but one that merely comprised a 20 page generic submission" doing the project management for this size construction is a recipe for disaster. True to the recipe.. disaster! Would a construction company order only 3 patterns of keys for the whole development? I think not!
Lesson 5: Decision making - "M3" - the cabal of 3 who were/are responsible for the mess. Lindiwe Sisulu, Dick Diyanti and Nomainda Mfeketo. "Somebody needs to go to prison" There are three nomineess. Take your pick.
Lesson 6: Thubelisha The idea that an outside agency can be created to come in and "fix everything" is mistaken. What is Thubelisha? Who does it answer to? Where are the accounts of Thubelisha? Thubelisha came to the N2 Gateway with no presence in Cape Town and has not managed to collect the rental for the development. Next stop the Housing Development Agency!
Lesson 7: Why is the problem getting worse? For Cape Town the answer lies in the Eastern Cape. The failed housing projects there and the lack of economic activity... ie the failure of Coega
Lesson 0: Motive. Why build the N2 Gateway where it is? Not the "housing for all" excuse. The reason the N2 was built where it is, is to hide the "unsightly" informal settlements from arriving eyes. The idea was to build all along the N2 corridor so that the suffering of the people was out of sight. Out of sight out of mind! Rubbish motive... rubbish project...
Lesson 1: Site evaluation Before doing any real work on a project a proper investigation should be done into the site. This does not have to take long, but it should be long enough to spot the fact that the planned work is in a flood plain. Dig a hole and see what is under there!
Lesson 2: Planning No spade should be lifted until the ENTIRE project is planned. Include some lebensraum while you are at it. The N2 Gateway is shit! The communal areas are terrible. It's all dingy in there and it's obvious no one thought about where the water must go when it rains.
Lesson 3: Budget A complete AND REALISTIC budget must be drawn up before work starts. Not only does the budget have to be drawn up, but the best price for each item which is needed should be costed and CONFIRMED. No point rocking up at the supplier 6 months later to find that prices have doubled.
Lesson 4: Execution Construction companies for construction, IT companies for IT jobs. Having an IT company which "did not submit a substantial document; but one that merely comprised a 20 page generic submission" doing the project management for this size construction is a recipe for disaster. True to the recipe.. disaster! Would a construction company order only 3 patterns of keys for the whole development? I think not!
Lesson 5: Decision making - "M3" - the cabal of 3 who were/are responsible for the mess. Lindiwe Sisulu, Dick Diyanti and Nomainda Mfeketo. "Somebody needs to go to prison" There are three nomineess. Take your pick.
Lesson 6: Thubelisha The idea that an outside agency can be created to come in and "fix everything" is mistaken. What is Thubelisha? Who does it answer to? Where are the accounts of Thubelisha? Thubelisha came to the N2 Gateway with no presence in Cape Town and has not managed to collect the rental for the development. Next stop the Housing Development Agency!
Lesson 7: Why is the problem getting worse? For Cape Town the answer lies in the Eastern Cape. The failed housing projects there and the lack of economic activity... ie the failure of Coega
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