Residents told, no budget for homes
17 Aug 2008
Thando Mgaga

While frustrated Eastwood residents grabbed land owned by the Msunduzi
Municipality on Tuesday, nearby Thembalihle, Tamboville and Q-section
residents are fed up with living in mud houses and are demanding
low-cost housing from the municipality.

Chairman of the Eastwood Community Forum, Fred Wagner, said the
municipality allocated R58,6 million in the current financial year to
build houses in these communities, but there is nothing to indicate that
the houses will be built.

He said residents of these areas plan to raise the matter with national
government.

But ward councillor Mzwakhe Dladla said there is no budget to build
houses. He said he tasked municipal officials to establish how much it
would cost to build low-cost houses in these sections and they came up
with the amount of R58,6 million.

“I held community meetings and explained to the residents that an
application for houses has to be sent to council first and a social
survey to be conducted and thereafter an application to the department
of housing will have to be drafted,” said Dladla.

Msunduzi spokeswoman Evodia Mahlangu said Thembalihle, Tamboville and
Q-section are projects in the close-out phase and 90% of the transfers
have taken place.

She said an amount of R2 500 was made available, materials were issued
to beneficiaries, a housing support centre was established and the
communities were trained in building their own houses.

“A new project is being planned for the area. However, a full audit of
the beneficiaries and the type of top structure that is on each and
every site will need to be undertaken.

“Thereafter an application for funding will be prepared and submitted to
the department of housing,” added Mahlangu.