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PROJECT Making it work A lot is happening in the affordable housing sector at the moment, and the recent Tekwane North housing initiative introduced by the Department of Human Settlements is a good example of a success story. Most notably, since the development was launched in August, the department allocated 20 of the 53 houses built to SAWIC (South African Women in Construction), who donated their construction services to the project. The remaining 33 houses were assigned to volunteers in the area. Getting involved When SA Affordable Housing spoke to Themba Mthethwa, Business Development Non-Executive Director at Everite, a division of Group 5, he explains that the company had a two-pronged involvement in the project. “Group 5 had two separate roles in the initiative, firstly by sponsoring one of the houses to the tune of R50 000 and secondly, in the form of Everite’s sponsorship of ceilings in all of the houses.” Everite also supplied Big Six fibre cement roofing material, so named because each sheet has six corrugations. The material has good thermal insulation qualities The force behind the project and was purchased by the Department of Housing as part of the project spec, however Everite donated the ceiling boards in a bid to draw attention to the need for this material. “It was our way of inspiring government to recognise the need for ceilings as an essential component in RDP housing,” smiles Themba. 4 Everite’s Big Six fibre cement roof sheets were specified for the project “Many such houses are constructed using steel roofing, and if you’ve ever stood in your garage, you’ll know how uncomfortable it can be without insulation. Imagine living this way. The project has been very successful, including the participation of the ladies, although I’ll admit, they did need some male help – but only for the heavy lifting!” he laughs. Preferred installers The company rendered additional support in terms of on-site training, which will be backed up in future by the fact that students will be listed in a register of recommended Everite installers. As a preferred supplier for many government SA Affordable Housing November/December 2009
PROJECT The project involved the construction of 53 houses in Tekwane North projects, this is extremely beneficial to anyone who has a knowledge of the products, which Themba assures us requires careful handling. “We are very particular about the manner in which Everite materials are installed,” he emphasises. “We’ve had incidents where we’ve visited sites where roofs have had to be replaced after unskilled labourers had simply hammered the sheets into place. The result is longitudinal cracks which run up the corrugations of the boards. For optimum lifespan of this material, we advise government departments to use only our trained contractors.” This approach is applied to the company’s other products, and Themba goes on to tell us about the new Alternative Building Division, which focuses on steel frame building. “This division will open up a wider scope of government work for us. We’ll be able to approach the Departments of Transport, of Education, of Rural Development with a view to offering solutions for clinics, schools and road works. It’s very exciting for us.” Utilising steel frame structures, clad with Everite’s own boards, the company will be able to offer effective, fast building solutions in areas that are currently lagging in terms of delivery. it could be possible to do this every month. Everite has become a strategic partner in this initiative and we plan to do even more. Also, I’m sure that if you approached individuals and said ‘Come and help us build a house this weekend’, they’d join you.” While cynics might consider this approach to be naïve, it indicates an underlying faith in the human potential for good. Highlighting inadequacies However, playing Polyanna is not something Themba could be accused of; when it comes to hard issues, he’s not afraid to be vocal. “The problem with a project of this nature is that it draws attention to the inadequacies of other RDP housing in the area,” he says. “When overseen by the Department with all the necessary quality checks adhered to, the outcome is a home that is vastly superior to those built in other projects.” With the media focus on Tokyo Sexwale’s decision to invest R1.3 billion in rebuilding inferior RDP houses built in the past, this problem has become glaringly apparent. “There’s no denying that many RDP homes need to be rebuilt, but it’s a shame when it involves re-allocating budget intended for new houses,” he laments. “Unfortunately, it is unavoidable, due to the poor workmanship that has been seen since 1994. The cost of cheap building in the long-term far outweighs the immediate savings. The saddest thing is that this is a simple case of human beings doing terrible things to each other – cutting corners is the same as theft. Ironically, some contractors are making a quick buck to build themselves a bedroom that’s bigger than the house they just built for a poor person.” to page 6 More for women “We’re involved in a number of projects with SAWIC,” he adds. “We feel that it’s an important contribution because this is a difficult industry for women to get into. They struggle to gain experience without support, and if they have no experience, it’s difficult for them to gain finance to build their companies.” In Themba’s opinion, projects such as the one in Tekwane North should be a regular occurrence. “Why only in August,” he asks. “If big companies are prepared to get involved, Men helped with the heavy lifting! 5 SA Affordable Housing November/December 2009
Page 1: SA Affordable Housing Infrastructur
Page 4: Editors comment Winding up The thir
Page 9 and 10: PROJECT acceptable cut-off line and
Page 12 and 13: modular construction from page 8 Ko
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Page 17 and 18: Marley EKONOROOF ®
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Page 21 and 22: CONCRETE “Despite all these chang
Page 23 and 24: DEVELOPMENTS Oasis Manor - a perfec
Page 25 and 26: concrete a brick. Corner blocks, re
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Page 36 and 37: finance Agence Francaise De Develop
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Page 42 and 43: ROOFING Turning shelters into homes
Page 44 and 45: news Another country, another Molad
Page 46 and 47: energy efficiency Service delivery
Page 48 and 49: news Extremely fast and precise mea
Page 50: news ‘Concrete for Housing’ pre

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