• Tweet

FALLING APART: Masiza Flats at Sebokeng in the Vaal have been neglected for more than 10 years. Residents depend on neighbouring residential areas for basic services.

HEALTH HAZARD: Open sewers are a common sight.

 Residents are tired of living in squalor 

RELATED ARTICLES

• No work on RDP house for 7 years
• 'We want houses'
• Armed residents halt housing project
• 'Squatter community' to get houses
• Disadvantaged to benefit from govt housing

Conditions at the building degenerated after a failed eviction attempt by a company that had claimed to have bought the flats in 2001.

Residents fought the sale of the flats and they finally succeeded when the government bought back the building last year.

For more than a decade, the residents have illegally connected electricity. They use the veld to answer the call of nature and if they use their toilets, they flush with water that they fetch from neighbouring residential areas.

Residents said that their spirits were briefly lifted when the then Gauteng local government and housing MEC Humphrey Mmemezi officiated over a sod-turning ceremony promising to develop their area earlier in the year.

But then in July Mmemezi was found guilty of contravening the provincial legislature code of conduct and ethics for using a government credit card.

There were also allegations that the MEC had covered up an accident involving a government vehicle in 2011.

Mmemezi, who resigned after the scandals, was flanked by senior Emfuleni local municipality officials during the event this year as he spoke of a total facelift of the flats.

But since then there has been little action.

Residents say development is at a snail's pace.

Maki Mphaki, 40, says: "Since Mmemezi left office no one cares to complete the projects that he started. After the sod turning we believed we were finally on the road to development, but now it seems we are in for a long wait."

Contacted for comment, Emfuleni local municipality spokesmanKlaas Mofomme said his office was awaiting a report from the local housing officials.

"What I know is that the province has a programme that is supposed to be running," Mofomme said.

His counterpart in the Gauteng provincial housing department, Motsamai Motlhaolwa, has allayed residents fears. He said that the work would go ahead as planned.

"The contractor has been appointed and is busy with water and sewer installations. Once that work has been completed , then refurbishment work will begin," he said.

Motlhaolwa added that his office was trying to get the service provider to supply temporary relocation units where residents could be relocated while the flats were being refurbished.

Comments

• Sign in or sign up to comment

Thu May 23 17:52:43 SAST 2013 ::

Nov 6, 2012

warry

That report will come after ten years and the read for fifteen years and acted upon after twenty years. You would have voted for them 7 times in the national polls and maybe dead. A luta continua. The struggle goes on for the failure of our country.
Report Abuse

Nov 6, 2012

Pointman

Yet another case of allowing something to die and then trying to resurrect it. Bet the residents were to blame too. Did they pay rent and their utilities bill?
Report Abuse

Nov 6, 2012

cornelius

When were these " once magnificent flats " built I wonder ? By the evil wh.ites ?
Report Abuse

Nov 6, 2012

Mokaubere

Emfuleni Municipality should prioritise housing for the victims of the Boipatong massacre first before even considering Kwa-Masiza. Remember this place is the same one where all the killings of the innocents were planned, according to the information which was later revealed at the TRC.
Report Abuse

Nov 6, 2012

lenyora13

Sometime our people tolerate Sh*t(xcuse a pun).. i don't think such nonsense will be happenin if it was a white neighbourhood.. we need to demand xcellent service from our municipality..
Report Abuse

Nov 6, 2012

Mzabalazo

Keep on voting for the ANC, eventually . ... Or perhaps
Report Abuse

Nov 6, 2012

Catswhiskers

Mmemezi didn't do a thing except "turn the sod" and make a few promises. Perhaps the biggest problem is that these people want to live the "western" way, but don't want to pay for it!
Report Abuse

Nov 6, 2012

Sgandy

Deep loyalty to the ANC will make you eat sh!t..keep voting with your skins whilst the fat politicians keep their middle fingers up...I defy to be ruled by people like this.
Report Abuse

Nov 6, 2012

candilious

Another 1 bites the dusts ...............fok man alles draai na k@K toe onder draai die duiwel rond
Report Abuse

Nov 6, 2012

GLAVA

you get what you vote for
Report Abuse

Read all 19 comments