8 years later, Vosloorus RDP flats still unfinished, mayor demands answers

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21-02-2025
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Kathorus Mail
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Xhakaza slams delays, says failed contractors and budget issues have left 189 families in limbo.

Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza committed to resolving the delayed construction work at the Vosloorus Ext 9 RDP flats.

Xhakaza pledged to resolve the issue when he visited the site of the RDP units as part of the mayoral service delivery oversight outreach campaign on February 14.

“The units were supposed to be completed in a three-year timeframe, but eight years later the RDP flats are still not completed. I’m here today because I want the people who are leading the project to tell me why the RDP units are still not completed,” said Xhakaza.

Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphoile Xhakaza calls for the completing of the construction of the Vosloorus TDP Flats.

“These delayed projects are the things that make the community members lose faith in us. We feel the brunt during the voting periods because our voters always punish somebody. My primary goal with the outreach campaign is to ensure that services are being provided to the community members and if the flats were completed 189 families without homes would benefit from them,” Xhakaza stated.

The Ward 45 Clr Nkululeko Sidu said it’s very important for him to show dissatisfaction regarding the project.

“First for most the top structures were built before the civil works had been done. This is a serious problem as the buildings will get old.

“The contractor that has taken over from the previous two contractors has pushed very hard. There has been a trench since 2018 which has destroyed properties. The contractor closed it in December last year. We are happy with the progress of the contractor so far,” said Sidu.

He added that the civil works is being done.

The acting DH of Human Settlement, Mboniseni Majola, said the first contractor of the project didn’t do a good job and there was poor workmanship performance.

“There were a lot of legal issues with the first contractor as we tried to terminate the contract for poor workmanship. With the second contractor, there were performance issues too and we had to terminate that contract. The project was indeed delayed in terms of planning. The city didn’t have enough budget to cover the whole services of the project.

“However the provincial government was ready and had enough budget so it was putting pressure on us to continue the building of the structures,” Majola explained.

He added that they have not allocated the beneficiaries so far but they will do in the next financial year.

“This will happen after we have completed the project, but we still need R17m extra to complete the project. So far, we have spent R87m,” Majola said.

Xakaza also checked the progress of key projects in Vosloorus. This included a sinkhole that was being rehabilitated in Ext 14; checking the pedestrian bridge that was built in Ext 28; work done by the deployed teams that remarked the streets, roads and patched potholes; the incomplete EMPD structure at the Vosloours customer care centre; and Vosloorus Poly Clinic that is short staffed.

The mayor promised to resolve the shortage of staff members at the clinic speedily and also fast-track the construction work of the EMPD’s incomplete structure.