AG unhappy at KZN attempts to house flood victims
The auditor-general says some of the temporary housing units being built for the victims of the April floods aren't up to scratch.
"There were no thermal improvements under the roofs that have been put in place,” Tsakani Maluleke told MPs on Wednesday.
“The external doors were made of timber and not galvanized metal as per specification. We found that there were no internal doors in some of them."
Maluleke said they've carried out inspections at 30 units and found that some of the TRUs were built on unsuitable land as well.
"Matters such as electrical connections were not always included in the scope of work and that may result in residents who are now located in a TRU but now have to make a makeshift arrangement to gain access to electricity.
Maluleke was briefing members of the ad hoc committee on the province's flood relief and recovery efforts in Pretoria yesterday.
She said KZN’s Department of Human Settlements has been taking too long with the project.
Out of the nearly 5 000 people displaced, a mere 24% had been assessed for TRU occupancy by June.
"Most of the TRUs that were said to be in the ground were there, however, we did find that it needs assessment in terms of understanding where are TRUs are needed, who needed to be placed in one,” Maluleke said.
“Those processes were not well managed and as a result, there was a delay in confirming who needed a TRU and getting people out of those temporary shelters that they were in."
