GEORGE NEWS - George Municipality, with the aid of provincial funding, has handed over 418 houses to residents in the Thembalethu Upgrading of Informal Settlements Programme (UISP) since late last year. 

Another 282 houses of the total of 700 houses are in various stages of construction and have been awarded to various contractors.

The subsidy applications are an ongoing process and as beneficiaries get approved, the contractors are appointed to construct the houses in clusters. The construction is dependent on approval by the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements.

At the Golden Valley Housing Project, three houses that were built by Makhare Holdings are in the final stages of completion and will be handed over to the beneficiaries as soon as possible. PHP Building Supplies has to date completed its site establishment and nine of the 20 planned slabs have been cast.

At extensions 42 and 58, 54 units constructed by Makhare Holdings (14 units) and Moreki Distributors (40 units) have been handed over to the beneficiaries.

Appointment letters have been issued to Makhare Holdings for the construction of 33 more units and Moreki Distributors has been allocated 13 units.

Construction can commence once all statutory processes and documentation has been submitted.

At the handover of houses at the UISP project are, from left: Yvonne Mnapu (Department of Human Settlements), Andile Qave (owner), Madlokazi Vuzicelo (Beneficiary Liaison Committee), Vuyiswa Koyi and Siyamthanda Soga (senior clerk).

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