Beneficiaries were told in November last year that construction would begin by February this year at the latest. However, at a committee meeting earlier this month, a City official said the project would be delayed due to procurement issues.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent Media
Frustration is growing among Macassar housing beneficiaries, some of whom have waited more than two decades, as City officials confirmed that a subcontractor’s non-compliance has delayed the construction of 1026 phase two units by a year.
Beneficiaries were told in November last year by the City’s mayco member for human settlements, Carl Pophaim, that construction would begin by February this year at the latest. However, at a committee meeting earlier this month, the City’s executive director for human settlements, Nolwandle Gqiba, said the project would be delayed due to procurement issues.
In a recording of the meeting obtained by the Cape Times, Gqiba told councillors that a subcontractor linked to the appointed contractor was not properly registered, meaning the tender process may have to be restarted.
“There was a supply chain issue that at the last minute came up that we are dealing with. And we realise that it will take long for us to go back and we have to re-advertise again,” she said.
"Unfortunately, with the auditor-general coming in, there are so many new things that are coming up.
“In the past, we used to worry about having the main contractor being registered with the various bodies... and if there is a joint venture, we would not need to do the same with a minor contractor. But this time they insisted on it being registered...
“But that contract, unfortunately, will not be able to commence at the time it was supposed to start because we have to correct the part about the joint venture, that is the other minor contractor is not registered. That is the issue. We have not abandoned it, however, there is that delay because of the procurement issue,” she said.
NCC councillor Felicia Solomons.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent Media
NCC councillor Felicia Solomons warned that the lack of communication risked inflaming tensions among residents.
“It was the mayoral committee member who told people at a community meeting that houses would be built by February. But now I found out, when one of the beneficiaries wanted to transfer their subsidy, that the houses would no longer be built this year while the City was quiet.
“There are people who have been waiting nearly 30 years to get a house and now, without explanation, they saw that houses were no longer being built. People who are rightly frustrated will be up in arms because of this,” she said.
Beneficiary Elizabeth Steenkamp, 55, who first registered for a house in 2003, said the wait was becoming unbearable.
Beneficiary Elizabeth Steenkamp.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent Newspapers
She currently lives in a phase one unit owned by her brother, which she shares with her 19-year-old daughter.
“They say they will start building in January, which means we will have to wait another six years again.
“Before coming here, I stayed in a shack for eight years. My brother was kind enough to let us stay here and I share a bedroom with my daughter,” she said.
Lenie Sluyt, a phase one beneficiary, said the delay meant continued overcrowding in her home.
“My son and his wife are staying with us with their children. They are on the waiting list for houses.
“I have another daughter who is renting one room with her husband and children where they do not even have a toilet but have to pay over R2000 a month. It’s frustrating because if they start next year, that means they will have to wait at least another two years before they get a house,” she said
ANC councillor Judy-Ann Stevens said: “When people were told last year that building would start by March they were excited, but now it has gone quiet. This project goes a long way back and has long been delayed and rolled over.
“When they finally started, only 650 units were built in phase one and then stopped. There are over 25 000 units that need to be built and now the streetlights, even in the first phase, don’t even work,” she said.
Pophaim said the City would provide feedback to residents once it had clarified its next steps.
“We are currently in negotiations on the existing contracts, failing which we would have to explore an acceleration plan,” he said.
He added that he hoped construction could resume by July.
Cape Times