Tshwane residents left behind in housing project

Olievenhoutbosch resident Isaac Mohale has lived in a shack for 11 years after his housing subsidy was approved. Photos: Ihsaan Haffejee

In 2015, Isaac Mohale was approved to receive a government house in Olievenhoutbosch Extension 60, between Centurion and Midrand. But today he still lives in a shack.

“I visited the offices of the municipality many times and asked about my house,” said Mohale. “The workers of the municipality always told me they would make a plan for me to get a house.”

Olievenhoutbosch Extension 60 was established in 2015, with 759 stands allocated to residents on the housing waiting list. 537 people were approved for housing subsidies. But due to budget constraints, only 447 houses were built.

Mohale is one of dozens of people who live in shacks on their stands, waiting for their houses to be built.

Patrick Murulana said his application for an RDP house was approved in 2019. He lives in a two-roomed shack with his daughter. He used to work as a truck driver, but his left arm was amputated after he suffered a serious injury while using a grinder. He depends on a state disability grant of R2,400.

“I cannot use my little disability grant to buy food and build a house for myself,” said Murulana.

Another resident, Sibongile Mashiyane, said her application for an RDP house was approved in 2015, but it was not built. Mashiyane stays in a two-roomed shack with her seven children.

Patrick Murulana sits at the spot where his government house was supposed to be built.

City of Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said, “The total number of approved beneficiaries exceeded the size of the housing project … As a result, not all approved beneficiaries were allocated houses.”

Mashigo confirmed that Mashiyane’s housing subsidy was approved, but the house was not built. The system also showed Mashiyane had, been allocated a house in a different township in 2007, but that house had also not materialised.

The City of Tshwane, which built the 447 homes at a cost of R43.3-million, says the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements will be responsible for building the remaining houses. The department could not confirm that more houses would be built.

Children play outside shacks at Olievenhoutbosch.

Meanwhile, those who were granted houses complain of regular sewage leaks and overflows. Some residents said they cannot flush their toilets because the main sewer gets clogged.

“Some of the sewage returns to my toilet and flows into the yards of my neighbours,” said resident Owen Thifhelimbilu.

“The City’s water and sanitation business unit continues to attend to complaints as and when they arise and/or through routine maintenance of the installed infrastructure,” said Mashigo.

The Rietspruit River is heavily polluted with sewage.

When GroundUp visited the area in May a stench of sewage hung in the air.

The Rietspruit River is heavily polluted. Children have to cross it on a narrow footbridge to get to the nearest school, which is about five kilometres away.

Cars cross the river over two bridges, both of which have collapsed. In heavy rain, the bridge becomes impassable.

The narrow pedestrian bridge over the polluted Rietspruit river.

None of the roads in the township are tarred. The City of Tshwane said six kilometres of road will be tarred and a temporary bridge upgraded in the current financial year. More bridges will be built and roads upgraded at a later stage, “due to the budget constraints”, said Mashigo.

On 13 May, hundreds of residents marched to the City’s main offices, demanding better roads and that a housing project be completed.

A taxi passes over a bridge which is impassible during heavy rains, according to residents.

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