Excitement turned into disappointment when Transit Camp residents found out that the houses they waited so long for are in fact faulty.
Excitement turned into disappointment when Transit Camp residents found out that the houses they waited so long for are in fact faulty.
Residents moved into their houses two years ago, thrilled to have running water – now they’re anything but pleased.
Complaints include poor construction, plumbing problems and houses that are too small. However, the most pressing issue for many residents is that there is no longer running water in their houses.
Pensioner Lindelwa Libi, 62, says that she hasn’t been able to use her toilet since moving into her house in 2010. Even though she has never enjoyed running water in her house, Libi has been ordered to demolish her old outside toilet
"I have to ask to use my neighbour's old toilet because I don't have water in mine," Libi says.
"If I still had my strength I would go to the councillor to find out what is happening with our toilets, because we were told to demolish our old ones," she says.
Makana Municipality director of technical services and infrastructure Thembinkosi Myalato says that a new contractor for water, sewerage and roads services was appointed in 2008 to provide connection points for both water and sewerage.
He says that the Department of Human Settlements (DHS) appointed 27 contractors to build 440 RDP houses and that the contractors were expected to utilise the existing connections.
Myalato adds that the municipality was unaware that old toilets had been demolished. He says the matter will be investigated.
The municipality and DHS will conduct an audit to identify the affected houses, he says.
In 2011 the municipality noted that there were five houses without connections. “The affected beneficiaries were requested to demolish their toilet structures and [portable toilets]were provided”, says Myalato.
Myalato emphasises that the Transit Camp project has been managed by the DHS and that the municipality is effectively the developer.
The Department of Human Settlements however says that the municipality is responsible for providing the residents with water and sanitation.
In light of these issues, some residents rely on communal taps to get drinking water and do their laundry, while others have taken it upon themselves to fix up their own houses.
Andile Vulindlu says that he decided to hire a plumber to connect water to his home. "Other people had water and we didn't know why ours hadn't been connected," says Vulindlu.
"A lot of things were done wrong in these houses. I finished off some things myself because I know a little about building houses."
He says that the toilets are a serious concern and, like other residents, accuses the contractors of being greedy and selfish.
"The problem is that these people are only after money," Vulindlu says.
Ntombekhaya Manganya, who has been living in the area since last year, claims that the contractors rushed jobs to ensure there was money left over.
Eastern Cape Department of Human Settlements regional director William Perks confirms that issues with contractors have been identified.
"Some of the contractors did not perform satisfactorily and measures were introduced accordingly to terminate their services,” he says. “This office is however not aware of any external people assisting beneficiaries to complete their houses."
Perks says water meters should have been installed by the municipality, followed by water connections. "The municipality has since confirmed that the task is complete," Perks says.
Responding to the question of toilets in the area, Perks says that the issues regarding sanitation in the area are being handled by the municipality. “Enquiries must therefore be directed to the municipal manager," he says.
The Transit Camp project issues wait to be resolved while others still wait for housing in the area. Perks says the project scale is 440 houses, but only 286 units have been completed.
