Construction company pockets R3.5m for no houses

a construction company in the northern cape has pocketed r3,5 million, just for laying 77 concrete foundations. the payment, by the northern cape government's department of housing to the kimberley based komanisi developers, was allegedly an advance to help kickstart a housing project.

the houses were meant for the community of thagadiipelajang near hartswater. the project has since stalled, as the contract was terminated by the department.

the total number of houses to be built was 413. however, not one has been erected. according to the provincial department of housing, the money paid was meant to be spent on the purchasing of material for the project.

lenny barnes of the department says he does not see this as a fruitless expenditure. according to the phokwani municipality, it was the contractor's shoddy work that led to the government cutting ties with him.

even the poor labourers who battled to lay these foundations were not paid. knowledge komanisi, the contractor, is reported to have taken the provincial department of housing to court for having terminated his contract.

stoffel de jager, komanisi's legal representative, declined to comment, saying that the matter is still sub-judice. the department has countered the court action, in an effort to recover the money.