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Housing delivery problem areas to be investigated

Xolile Bhengu

Xolile Bhengu

The Gauteng Provincial Legislature will today visit three areas from which it has received petitions complaining about housing delivery.

The provincial government watchdog for service delivery said it would be in Soweto's Doornkop, Orlando and Pimville.

This follows reports by Sowetan after Doornkop Block4 residents complained that families were forced to pay additional money for subsidised houses.

The residents claim that the Lesedi Women's Cooperative which was awarded a contract to build the 250 houses in the Doornkop area in March 2005, asked for a top-up funds of R2479 for households in the R1501 to R2500 income band.

After what residents said were failed attempts to find a resolution to the issue through the Gauteng provincial department of housing, they provided the legislature with a 60-page petition last year to address the matter.

Abe Mokoka, spokesman for Gauteng Legislature, said the task of the 10 committee members from various political parties was to find the facts.

Mokoka said the committee needed to verify whether housing projects delivery, according to government programmes Breaking New Ground and Priority Township Programme, had been followed and regulated.

He said the head of the provincial department would have to face the wrath of the committee if it was found that regulations were not followed.

"If the committee for housing finds any fault they will call the MEC (Gauteng MEC for Housing Nomvula Mokonyane) for a meeting, and the elected office bearer would have to explain and account for the faulty manner of delivery," Mokoka said.

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