No word on Skierlik houses

2010-07-16 17:14

Johannesburg - The North West human settlements department couldn't say on Friday when it would build the houses it had promised Skierlik residents after a fatal shooting spree in 2008.

According to a report in the Daily Sun only one-and-a-half of the 600 houses promised by former premier Edna Molewa had been built.

Molewa reportedly made the undertaking at a funeral after Johan Nel shot four people dead at the end of January of that year.

In response to the report, the North West human settlements department said it rejected the suggestion that the provincial government had made empty promises and said instead that plans were "far advanced".

"A contractor has already been appointed. We are only waiting for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report before construction can commence," it said in a statement.

"In terms of legislation, an EIA report is a requirement before any development can take place."

Given the number of problems and constraints they faced as they tried to provide for everyone, "it is possible that from time to time we will experience delays and setbacks".

They said that although many people still lived in shacks, this did not warrant "false and alarmist headlines".
 

- SAPA