project - Trademax Publications

project
ArcelorMittal South Africa
provides low-cost housing
solutions
ArcelorMittal South Africa and the Emfuleni Municipality (Vaal Triangle)
are teaming up to roof houses in two townships adjacent
to the company’s Vanderbijlpark steel plant.
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The project was initiated by ArcelorMittal South Africa at
the request of the communities involved. The aim of
the partnership is to re-roof 3376 houses previously
owned by the Council in Bophelong and Boipatong by
April 2010.
The 3376 houses, now all privately owned, are more than
40 years old. Some of them have asbestos roofs, which have to
be replaced in terms of health regulations. No shacks will be
roofed.
ArcelorMittal has undertaken to supply the roofing sheets and
fastening material, while Emfuleni will co-ordinate the
installation, labour and project management. ArcelorMittal
technical staff will provide advice during the two phases of
renovation. The budgeted cost of the project is around R1-
million, with the material costs comprising the largest share of
this amount.
Phase 1 of the project will kick off in late-2009 with a trial run
with a handful of houses being fitted with galvanised roofing.
Only after the trial run will the exact number of houses to be
completed by the end of the first phase be determined. Phase
2, to start early next year and to be completed by mid-year, will
include the removal of all asbestos roofing.
ArcelorMittal believes that steel roofing is an ideal solution for
roofing low-cost houses. It’s safe, durable, energy efficient and
easy to install. The company however warns of a recent trend
in which ultra thin galvanised material is imported for roofing
applications; it, in effect, lowers the standards of the roofing
products and provides less of the benefit of thicker galvanized
roofing. State housing inspection bodies have been urged to
push for more efficient standardisation and control of steel
products.
The Emfuleni housing project will predominantly make use of
labour from the communities involved. One skilled builder and
six labourers will work on a house at a time with two teams
working simultaneously – one in Bophelong and one in
Boipatong.
The key project objectives are as follows:
• Re-roof all 3376 identified houses in Bophelong and
Boipatong;
• Follow the approved project programme without delay and
interruptions;
• Utilise local labour;
• Implement the project using programmes guidelines such as
government’s Expanded Public Works Programme and the
Expanded Public Housing Programme;
• Use this project for similar partnerships with other local
communities and companies;
• Empower communities through skills transfer and economic
spin-offs;
• Utilise old roofs as scrap and use these proceeds to
complement the project budget.
Marion Green-Thompson, Group Corporate Responsibility
Manager at ArcelorMittal South Africa says the company is
making a concerted effort to uplift the quality of life in the
communities in which it operates. “Whilst this is an area that
has often been contentious in the past, mutually beneficial
stakeholder relations are now one of our top priorities. Projects
like the re-proofing of homes in Bophelong and Boipatong fit
this bill,” she comments.
The roofing project is a direct outcome of ArcelorMittal’s
extensive community engagement programme of the past year,
whose primary aim is to contribute to the development of strong
and sustainable local communities wherever the company
operates. “We will do so by being sensitive to local needs and
priorities, by engaging in an open and straightforward manner,
by focusing on practical and tangible activities that deliver
value and by seeking to work in active partnership with
community leaders and NGOs,” Green-Thompson adds.
SA Affordable Housing November/December 2009