R1.3bn to fix RDP houses

Johannesburg - It would cost R1.3bn to rebuild badly constructed houses provided under the government's housing programme, Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale said on Monday.

"It's a national shame. This is money down the drain. It is money that should have been spent on new houses," Sexwale said during a visit to the Alphendale community in East London, where 339 poorly constructed houses have to be rebuilt.

He laid the blame for the poor service delivery on corruption by construction companies and government officials.

"Wrong things are being done in the name of government," he said.

"These are people we have entrusted with government jobs and government contracts, they are supposed to serve the people, but they are thieves. If you are corrupt, get out," he said.

"We want to know who built these houses. We need to ask serious questions and bring people to book. We are going to fix the problem, but we are also going to fix the people who caused the problem."

"Where we are given knowledge and information you can trust us, we will act."

Sexwale introduced a National Audit Task Team charged with investigating irregularities in the housing system.

It is led by Special Investigations Unit (SIU) head Willie Hofmeyr and a senior representative of the Auditor General's office.

"We are working with the SIU because they have the power to investigate, but they also have the power to institute criminal and civil action," Sexwale explained.

"But they don't work alone. They are also working with the office of the Auditor General, which is in charge of looking at all our books, to check how we spend money."

The team is already investigating 20 projects, one of which is Alphendale.

- Sapa