The MEC for Local Government and Housing, Mr Soviet Lekganyane, said he would check the track records of tender companies before any tender for RDP housing was allocated to a developer.

Lekganyane was not happy after realising that there are 9 000 houses that were left incomplete during the 2006/2007 financial year. He further said those who had disappointed the department in the past would no longer be awarded contracts. Contractors building 500 homes or more will in future have to provide guarantees upfront.

“The guarantee is held for the duration of the project. In the event that a contractor fails to deliver, the department has the right to go to his bank and claim that guarantee, take the money and appoint someone else to complete the project. Limpopo is one of the provinces that have experienced the challenge of developers abandoning projects and leaving many houses incomplete. We estimate that between 10 000 and 12 000 homes have been left incomplete,” he said.

Spokesperson for Housing Mr Clayson Monyela said MEC Lekganyane was breathing heavily in the necks of contractors and developers. “We will not work with people whose actions or lack of actions derail our programme of building homes for our people. The Housing Department has also become vigilant in holding back certain money. This is a quality-control measure that allows the department to pay 95% of the claim following the completion of a housing project. The remaining 5% is held by the department for a further six months, during which the project managers thoroughly inspect the houses to check for quality and possible defects,” he said

If no problems are found, the balance is then paid. If mistakes or shoddy workmanship is discovered, the contractor is instructed to go fix the mess under the supervision of National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC).