Residents who braved yesterday's rainy conditions to interact with top housing officials who had come to "hand over" houses and toilets were disappointed when the officials spent less than 15 minutes at two of the three venues that they visited.
Residents who braved yesterday's rainy conditions to interact with top housing officials who had come to "hand over" houses and toilets were disappointed when the officials spent less than 15 minutes at two of the three venues that they visited.
The officials and councillors started their trip from the city hall and made their way to N Street where they spent a few minutes explaining the purpose of their visit.
Only two people were allowed to ask questions during the brief address in N Street.
From N Street the entourage made their way to Extension 6 to hand-over a flushing toilet to one resident. As the team was leaving a resident of the area who refused to be named said:"Was that it? There is no truth here," she said.
During a public meeting last year Mayor Zamuxolo Peter admitted that there were discrepancies with the housing beneficiary lists for the Mayfield housing project.
Responding to questions about this issue, Human Settlements MEC, Helen Sauls-August, said a regional team sent to investigate the situation found that there was no manipulation of the list.
"What the region has found out is that there was no issue of manipulation of the list. The issue was that they would prioritise certain people," she said.
Speaking to Grocott's Mail on Thursday 3 April, Sauls-August explained the discrepancies.
“We sent our regional office to speak to the municipality and to sit down with them to deal with the issue of HSS. The HSS gives you a list of who are the approved beneficiaries for that project so that they ensure they stick to that list. It was an unhappy issue that a lot of these things came to the fore,” she said.
Sauls-August said the region found out there was no manipulation with the lists. "The issue was that they would prioritise certain people, (but) in terms of any lists you would look at categorisation, you have to look at your vulnerable groups, orphaned and vulnerable children, old people and disabled…we move them into houses (first)," she explained.
She said the issue was the lack of communication between the community and the municipality.
She said that the community does not report issues to them but runs to the media. "I am still waiting for a person to step forward to say ‘I have laid a case against official A’," she said.
Human Settlements Minister, Connie September, returned to Grahamstown on 3 April, a few weeks after she came to monitor the bucket eradication project in the area.
She was accompanied by her Deputy Minister, Zoliswa Kota-Fredericks, and also provincial Human Settlements MEC ,Helen Sauls-August.
September's visit was to introduce Andile Siqwephu, a contractor who is going to finish the last of the bucket eradication project at N street.
The minister also handed over toilets at Extension 6. "Not too long ago I was here monitoring the sanitation project, today …we are here handing over … toilets to one of the beneficiaries," she said.
Themba Jelu ,of Ext 6, had the delegation at his home on Thursday morning, to officially give him his flushing toilet.
Upon receiving the toilet Jelu said he was grateful to have a flushing toilet after using a pit latrine toilet for more than 20 years.
The controversial Mayfield Phase 2 houses were also handed over by the Minister, but because of the weather they did not visit the houses.
"We would have loved to show you the first phase of our flagship project, which is a mix of houses, with semi-detached units and we are extremely proud of that project," said September.
