Low-cost Lamontville housing fails expert tests
Quality assessors from the Master Builders Association (MBA) have found that some of the low-cost houses built six years ago by Durban tycoon Shauwn Mpisane's construction company failed structural tests and need remedial work done to them.
This week, MBA assessors Ben van Rensburg and Kevin McDonald accompanied The Mercury to on an on-site inspection of homes built at the Lamontville township by Zikhulise Cleaning, Maintenance and Transport.
The visit came after two houses built by the company were demolished last month because they were found by the eThekwini municipality to be unsafe. When The Mercury and MBA assessors arrived, the two homes were being rebuilt by Muziwokuthula Construction. During the inspection, Van Rensburg looked at several homes built by Zikhulise and failed to find one that would have passed a standard building inspection.
He noted poor workmanship and said the houses were not built according to industry norms and national building regulations. "In my opinion, some of the houses have failed structurally," he said.
Local resident Nkosinathi Zulu, 38, complained that although his house had been patched by Zikhulise several times, the cracks on his walls were getting wider.
"When it rains, water seeps through the roof and cracks on the wall. When the wind blows, my roof picks up and I have placed a brick on it to hold the sheeting down," he said.
Van Rensburg said Zulu's house could become unsafe to live in and needed attention.
"Remedial work needs to be done urgently to prevent the house from becoming irreparable? Such remedial work will have to be investigated and designed by a competent person (an engineer)," he said.
Van Rensburg said the houses looked "visually stable and could be rectified", but foresaw problems with the way the roofs were tied down and constructed. He said residents also needed to take better care of their homes and do the necessary maintenance to prevent problems developing.
Commenting on the new houses being built by Muziwokuthula Construction, Van Rensburg said that what was visible appeared to be within building standards and norms.
The Mercury and MBA also visited RDP houses at Mnini, near Umgababa on the South Coast, after DA ward councillor Vumani Mbambo complained about the quality of houses being built in the area.
He said the houses were being built and then demolished because of poor workmanship.
Van Rensburg inspected three of 400 homes built by contractor Distinctive Choice, and said he was satisfied with the materials and workmanship.
"The units we saw in Umgababa were not totally complete. The few non-compliant items that were pointed out can easily be rectified," he said.
Thabo Mofokeng, a spokesman for the eThekwini municipality, said the it had only found two houses in Lamontville that needed to be demolished, while several others needed repairs.
He would not say how many had defects and added that the city was inspecting all housing projects to ensure that they met building standards.
The Mercury
Posted at 10:05AM Sep 01, 2010 by Editor in Residential |