Mackenzieville RDP Housing Project 2022 Update

by Cllr. Wollaston Labuschagne — DA Ward Councillor in Ekurhuleni

Date: 18 January 2022

Release: Immediate

Type: Media statement

Cllr Wollaston Labuschagne, Mackenzieville RDP Housing Project. Image Source: Heidelberg Nigel Heraut

The Mackenzieville Extension 2 RDP Housing Project in Nigel has been plagued by numerous interruptions, delays, and controversy since its inception in 2014.

Apart from the City’s Building Control and the Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) Departments issuing a stop building notice a few years ago, one of the appointed contractors also abandoned the project owing to a lack of funding in the Ekurhuleni Human Settlements and the Gauteng Housing Departments — which caused further delays.

This housing project should have been completed in 2017. Yet, years later, and the rightful beneficiaries have not been allocated their housing units.

Subsequently, criminals and illegal occupants moved into some of the units without the necessary authorisation. The illegal occupation of these units has been brought to the attention of the former Executive Mayor and the MMC of Human Settlements on several occasions. Instead of allowing deserving applicants and the rightful beneficiaries to move into the units, the former MMC sat idle, allowing lawlessness to thrive unabated.

Following years of poor planning, bad governance, and maladministration under the previous administration, the newly elected government in the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) has the mammoth task and responsibility of remedying and resolving this chaotic state of affairs.

At the beginning of the year, I requested a meeting with the MMC of Human Settlements, Cllr. Mabekenyane Thamahane (DA), and his department. The meeting was granted and took place on the 10th of January 2022. During the said meeting, the Department of Human Settlements has provided the following information:

• The CoE abides by national laws and will not allow communities to illegally occupy RDP housing developments. As such, the eviction order obtained through the courts will be executed within the next few months.
• The evictions would only take place once the necessary funding is available to continue and complete the entire project, and once all the illegal occupants have received eviction notices informing them of the pending evictions.
• The eviction legal process has cost Ekurhuleni ratepayers an arm and a leg, owing to occupants opposing the eviction order.

I have also been informed that before any evictions take place -

• The beneficiary list for Mackenzieville Ext 2 will be made available,
• An audit of qualifying beneficiaries will be done,
• Qualifying beneficiaries will be notified that in the event they are not allocated to the Mackenzieville Ext 2 development, they may be allocated to other RDP developments.

The reality is that the Mackenzieville Ext 2 RDP project needs to be completed, and as the Ward 88 Councillor, I am looking forward to working with the Department of Human Settlements to ensure that deserving and rightful recipients benefit from this project.

As the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Ekurhuleni, we trust that a transparent process will finally be followed with regards to the housing beneficiaries. We will be keeping a close eye on this project and monitoring that the new contractor completes the project in the allocated timeframe and within budget.

Cllr. Wollaston Labuschagne

DA Ward Councillor in Ekurhuleni