NW reserves funds to unblock housing project

By Molaole Montsho

The department of Cooperative Governance Human Settlement and Traditional  Affairs in the North West province has reserved 80 percent of its budget allocation to unblock housing projects.

“We are not going to build any new houses throughout the province.  We are using the funds to unblock unfinished or incomplete houses,” Oageng Molapisi told residents of Lethabong outside Rustenburg in his capacity as ANC provincial executive committee member.

He said most of the low-cost houses commonly known as RDP houses were abandoned by contractors.

Most of the low-cost houses in Lethabong were left at roof level.

Molapisi said his department has collected information about blocked housing projects and would come to Lethabong to reveal the status of block housing projects in both ward 27 and 28 of the Rustenburg local municipality.

Residents told ANC leaders that they have lost trust in the giant liberation movement because they do not have houses but incomplete structures in their yards.

“It is like a dream. You see a house constructed in your yard and years later you still live in a shack,” said Petro Albert.

ANC leaders were in Lethabong to drum support for the January 8 Statement and 114 anniversary celebration in Moruleng in the Moses Kotane local municipality.

National Executive Committee member deployed to North West, Njabulo Nzuza said this year’s January 8 Statement would focus on the coming municipal elections.

He said councillors who do not serve the community would be removed.

“Councillors who are not serving you are not coming back,” he said.

Nzuza accepted that roads in Lethabong need to be fixed, but dismissed the notion that the ANC has failed to improve the lives of the people.

“It is incorrect that the ANC has not delivered (basic service). We have not arrived where we want to be, but ultimately, we will arrive there,” he said.

Residents had also raised a concern that one of their councillors has relocated and lives in Rustenburg; they wanted to know if it was correct to have a ward councillor who is not residing in the area.

Molapisi replied that councillors, especially ward councillors, should reside in their wards.

“It is not allowed. We do not know the reasons. We are going to investigate this matter,” he said.

He said the ANC would return to Lethabong before the end of January to report back on issues the community raised.