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'Betrayed' village to get RDPs

FORSAKEN: Lydia Motseothata from Khunotswana village near Zeerust in North West has been waiting for years for a RDP house promised by the government Photo: Boitumelo Tshehle
FORSAKEN: Lydia Motseothata from Khunotswana village near Zeerust in North West has been waiting for years for a RDP house promised by the government Photo: Boitumelo Tshehle

Betrayed, lied to and forgotten.

This is how residents of Khunotswana village feel after the North West department of public works "failed to fulfil its promises" to them.

In June two MECs, Madoda Sambatha from public works and roads and education's Wendy Matsemela, promised to build 300 houses for residents.

They also promised to build a 22km road linking Khunotswana to the town of Zeerust.

At the time the community had shut down two local schools for two months and also burnt down a councillor's house and a tribal office in protest against the slow pace of delivery.

Lydia Motseothata, 62, lives in a one-roomed shack with nine children and nine grandchildren.

She says she started applying for an RDP house in 1997. Since then, she continued to submit her particulars to local councillors every year for a house.

"I give up. Some of my children were severely beaten by the police during the protest and slept in police holding cells for nothing. The way I see it I will die in this shack," she said.

Another resident, Sophy Moholo, said: "My son slept in police cells for four days. I thought one day I will see what he was fighting for, but by the look of things there will be no RDP houses or a proper road in this village.

"What the councillor is doing is wrong because the poor old people keep on registering for houses and food parcels but nothing is happening," she said.

Local government and human settlements spokesman Ben Bole said the department had already appointed two contractors to build low-cost houses.

He said Ramotshere Moiloa local municipality had been informed officially and a date to introduce the contractors would be announced soon.

Bole said the delays were caused by regulation.

"We were also delayed by the opinion of the Council for Geoscience after assessment [of the site]. Procurement processes also happen over a period of time to award the bid," he said.

"The appointed service providers have to be introduced, the project has to be enrolled with the National Home Builders Registration Council."

"A beneficiary list has to be received from the municipality in order to conduct beneficiary administration."

 

tshehleb@sowetan.co.za

 

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