Johannesburg - Developers who build shoddy low-cost houses will face the wrath of the government - including being blacklisted from the database of contractors doing business with the state.
Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu reiterated this warning on Monday when she launched the roll-out of more than 5 000 houses for military veterans in Fleurhof, west of Johannesburg.
The project is expected to be completed in 2017.
“Firstly, we require them (developers) to go and fix those houses and they get blacklisted if we find that we are not happy with their work on a regular basis,” Sisulu said, addressing journalists after handing over one of the three houses built so far.
“We are no longer building shoddy houses. So they (developers) need to ensure that they provide value for us to be able to pay them and keep them on our database.”
The minister said the government was working closely with the National Home Builder Registration Council (NHBRC) to ensure that contractors complied with quality assurance standards.
“You see, we have the NHBRC, and their job is to ensure that no houses are built without the necessary requirements from them and that no house is ever handed over without them inspecting that it is in line with the building standards.”
Sisulu expressed concern that some beneficiaries were selling their houses illegally. “The trend is high because most of the beneficiaries are indigents.
Her department was launching an extensive consumer education campaign to discourage people from selling their houses, she said.
The Star