LOUIS TRICHARDT – A building contractor who was instructed to stop his contract until he was willing to comply with the National Building Regulations, was this week applauded by the Makhado Municipal Council, when he handed over a gift of R5 000, after launching a politically loaded personal attack on Council's building inspector.

Mr Risimati Wilson Mkhari, the group executive chairman of the Wilcass Group, met the mayor and members of the Executive Committee in Council Chambers shortly before the monthly meeting, and handed over a cheque to mayor Tlakula "for youth development within Makhado Municipality."

In a written speech Mr Mkhari, a former NNP Youth League member, introduced himself to the ANC councillors as a member of the ANC. He then launched a political attack on DA councillors and on the Municipal Building Inspector, whom he branded as a person "who support the failure of Government projects."

The DA Ward Councillor in Tshikota, where Mr Mkhari's concern is involved in the redevelopment of the old Tshikota Hostel, has come up with stern disapproval of the way in which Mr Mkhari's Wilcass Group is handling its responsibilities towards the contract and towards future residents of the structures which he is erecting there.

He has been criticised for not adhering to the building regulations and for jeopardising the integrity and safety of the residential structures by ignoring the prescriptions of official building plans.

Mr Mkhari's Wilcass Group started construction in contravention of the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act (Act 103 of 1977) that stipulates that no one will be allowed to start construction of any building prior to the necessary approval of the plans and drawings thereof. Approval of plans for the development in Tshikota were delayed because of failure on the side of the Wilcass Group to pay the approval fee of R6 567,80.

The acting Municipal Manager, Mr Wilson Nkuna, on enquiry confirmed that the Wilcass Group was served with a written instruction to stop construction work at the Tshikota hostel, because they did not follow the building regulations. This must be rectified before they can continue.

"Everybody must adhere to the regulations and it is the duty of council officials to enforce the rules. If, for instance, the traffic officials find the mayor speeding, they will have to give him a ticket, because they must uphold the rules."

In Mr Mkhari's handing over speech he attacks both the DA and the building inspector, for their criticism and actions, which he branded as the actions of "irresponsible" people "still living in an old stuck train of repression and humiliation."

Before handing over the cheque he accused DA councillors of failing to address the problems of the youth in their wards. "Instead they mobilised our people against the redevelopment of the Tshikota hostel," Mr Mkhari said.

DA Ward Councillor Marie Helm this week reacted with a strongly worded reply, in which she informs the public of "the incredibly low standard of building workmanship at the hostel re-development project in Tshikota."

"It is with anger and resentment that we have to look upon yet another project intended for the poorest of the poor, which turn out to be a get rich quick scheme for an unscrupulous developer.

"We congratulate our municipality for their concern to stop this development which is not up to standard. The DA will continue to fight for good quality housing for all our people.

"Our people deserve to receive the quality promised by the building plans and paid for with tax payers' money. The Makhado Municipal Council bend backward and discounted more than R61 000 from the engineering fees to the Wilcass group, but the goodwill of this Council was walked upon by the incredible low quality work that we received in return. The DA would like to pledge our full support to our Building Inspector and the Civil Engineer Department for the good and professional work that is done.

"Various letters have been written to the Group Executive Chairman of the Wilcass group informing him of the problems relating to the building of the units and to the Department of Local Government and Housing. Various meetings were held over a long period. The latest meeting was held on March 6 in which four very serious problems were discussed, namely that building plans are still not approved; the developer changed the type of foundation approved; the developer refused to add concrete lintels across openings in the units; and the developer changed the roofing type.

"The DA wish to inform the people of Tshikota that we will fight with everything in our power to prevent this developer from getting away with this low quality work. Every cent that the developer "saves" on reducing the quality of that development is in fact stealing from the poor and endangering the lives of those who are supposed to live in those units," the DA members say in their statement.