R23m for North West housing project

26 July 2011

The North West provincial government has set aside R23-million for a housing development project aimed at providing decent accommodation for people living in informal settlements around the town of Koster.

The beneficiaries currently live in informal settlements in Reagile Township, Redirile and Derby. The project's ultimate aim is to rid the Kgetleng River Local Municipality of informal settlements altogether.

Provincial MEC for Human Settlements Desbo Mohono made the announcement during her meeting with the local mayor, Kim Medupi, on Monday.

The project management team says geotechnical investigations for construction of 268 housing units at a cost of R15-million in Reagile Extension 6 and 7 have been concluded.

Identifying beneficiaries

Mohono appealed to the municipality to speed up the identification of beneficiaries and stands for subsidy applications, as well as the approval of house designs, so the project can start immediately after its registration by the National Home Builders Registration Council.

She said the housing development project for Redirile/Derby is expected to commence shortly, with 129 housing units to be built.

Developers are on site to fix poor workmanship at 35 incomplete housing units in Borolelo Ext 2 and 3, which are apart of 500 houses under construction in the area. An additional 59 units are being built in Regaile Ext 3.

Mohono added that her department will assist Kgetleng Rivier Local Municipality with beneficiary house allocations and subsidy administration to ensure that the occupation of completed houses at the R51.6-million Mazista Integrated Human Settlement goes without glitches and runs concurrently with the demolition of shacks at the Skierlik informal settlement.

Meanwhile, the provincial department is also engaged in financial and physical audits for the 1 137 housing units completed in Reagile and 440 units in Borolelo to bring the multimillion housing development projects to closure.

Source: BuaNews