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The City of Johannesburg Executive Mayor, Councillor Jolidee Matongo on Sunday, 05 September 2021, announced that an independent investigation into the quality of the South Hills Mixed Housing Development’s workmanship is to be launched.

The announcement came after the Mayor, accompanied by the Gauteng Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) MEC Lebogang Maile conducted an oversight visit at the housing development following a recent protest by its beneficiaries.

The beneficiaries complained about poor workmanship on the development that has resulted in their flats having cracked and damp walls, ongoing plumbing related leaks that have seen them frequently go without water and electricity for days. 

Although the City’s project reports from the developers indicated that quality assurance was conducted on the housing development before the units were allocated to owners, Mayor Matongo said: “We will be appointing an independent auditor in the construction field to verify the quality of the workmanship on the housing development. 

The auditors will help us determine if indeed the concerns raised by owners are related to the workmanship, and where the faults point to the developers, they will certainly be held accountable.”

“However, if the issue is on the City’s side on the provision of water and electricity, we will also certainly account and correct as a matter of urgency the ongoing concerns of the residents,” the Mayor added.

Both the MEC and Mayor Matongo committed to continue monitoring the South Hills development on behalf of its beneficiaries to ensure that all the ongoing concerns raised are attended to and accountability is demonstrated.

Mayor Matongo promised that he will be returning to South Hills, together with MEC Maile, once an independent report has been completed on the housing development - with indication on the exact concerns that need to be attended to, by who, and clearly stated timelines that they will be resolved by.

Meanwhile, MEC Maile pointed out that residents who burned tyres and blocked roads during their recent protest had the right to protest, however, he warned that protests needed to follow prescribed legal frameworks that ensured other residents’ rights were not violated in the process.

The South Hills Mixed Housing Development in a City of Johannesburg project located in the south of the metropolitan. It has a total of 5 702 housing units that consist of Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) units, community rental units, as well as bonded units.

Issued by the City of Johannesburg