Hundreds of houses stand empty with no roofs

More than 400 houses in the huge Maritseng housing project in Matatiele in the Eastern Cape have been left half-built, with no roofs.

The recipients of the houses are living next to them, in mud houses.

The 1,500-house project, in several parts of Matatiele including Ramohlakoana, Jabavu, Maluti and Hardinburg, was launched in 2015. Sivivane construction company completed 1,084 houses, but according to Edmond Venn, the spokesperson for the provincial Department of Human Settlement, the company left the project in 2022.

The department then appointed the Matatiele local Municipality as an implementing agent.

"A new contractor, Mayibuye iAfrika, has since been appointed by the municipality to complete the remaining scope of work which is anticipated to be finished by June 2025," said Venn.

Matatiele Local Municipality spokesperson Luncedo Walaza confirmed that Mayibuye iAfrika had been appointed, in March, with a budget of R71.6-million to complete the 416 remaining units. He said the company was in the process of obtaining its registration with the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC), a regulatory requirement before construction can begin.

"Once the NHBRC is approved the project is expected to take 18 months," he said.

But when GroundUp contacted the NHBRC, we were told Mayibuye iAfrika already has its registration certificate.

Jabavu community leader Letompa Mothuli said people whose houses were standing incomplete had been told they could not complete the houses themselves.

"Last month, officials from Matatiele municipality told us that the contractor is going to start working before the end of August. We will wait and see," he said.

Another resident Malebo Mofokeng said meanwhile people were living in mud houses.

"The sad part is that our government doesn't allow us to complete our RDP houses on our land," said Mofokeng. "Having a house that is incomplete in your yard is not a good thing. The incomplete house is a sign that our government failed to do financial management."