By Michael Makungo | @SABCNews | 11 August 2020, 4:47 PM
Limpopo’s Human Settlement Department has suspended the construction of multi-million rand shacks in Burgersfort.
SA Affordable Housing has requested answers to this in terms of SANS 10400, 10252 and other compulsory standards including where were the Building Inspectors whilst this debacle was going on?
The 152 shacks to the tune of about R10 million were being constructed at Apiesdoring, Burgersfort. The provincial department says the aim was to alleviate overcrowding in informal settlements during the pandemic.
Following the public outcry about the amount of money being spent on the shacks, the provincial Human Settlement department has suspended the project in Burgersfort. The shacks are similar to the 40, which were handed over to the Talana hostel dwellers in Tzaneen last week. MEC Basikopo Makamu says the construction will be on hold until they receive the report on quality of the shacks.
“We have decided to say the Burgersfort Extension 10 project should be suspended until we received the report that is commissioned by the national on the issue of Talana so there will be no longer continuing to do the project for now we will not be talking about the costs implications around Burgersfort and the construction because everything has come to halt we will be able to resume immediately after we have received a discussion with national HDA on the matter of Talana.”
Makamu adds that no contractor will be paid until investigations on the quality of work and cost is done.
“The procurement process has been done with the HDA and the contractor I don’t think there will be anybody who be paid for now before we can finish the report in Talana the congestion in the extension 10 is very terrible but the facts remains that we will have to wait and see how do we come with a measure that we will be able to relocate them pending the outcomes of the Talana because we wouldn’t be say we will go and look for an RDP now.”
Fetakgomo-Tubatse SANCO regional chairperson – Putiputi Mokgakala – says the project must just be scrapped not suspended.
“We will never relocate to that place because is far from town so we therefore calling for the MEC Bssikop Makamu and the premier that their project must be scrapped down the SIU must be involved in terms of price inflation those Mikhukhu and shacks we don’t want to see them in Tubatse.”
A report on the investigation is expected to be released next week.