IFP: PUBLIC PROTECTOR MUST INTEREVENE IN MPISANE KILLER HOUSES (Note retraction below)

The IFP plans to approach the Public Protector to investigate the houses built by Mpisane company at Izakhiwo ZakwaMgaga in Ward 77 uMlazi; this after one of the houses fell and killed a man - Julius Khumalo - when it was brought down by heavy rains which damaged this area last Saturday.

The IFP delegation led by the party's Member of the Provincial Legislature and Acting Deputy Provincial Secretary Mr. Joshua Mazibuko and Councillor Mduduzi Nkosi Chairperson of the IFP'eThekwini Caucus, visited the area today to see for themselves the situation. Speaking after their visit to the area, Mazibuko said:

"There is clear evidence of a very poor workmanship of the houses in this area, which resulted in one house coming down and killing the owner Mr Julius Khumalo, and another house being wiped out completely. Forfunately with the second house, no one was in at the time otherwise we would be talking about two lives lost. In fact those houses are a disaster waiting to happen anytime as some have visible cracks and cannot stand the storms that seem to regularly attack Durban these days.

"When you visit the area and see those houses, it ecomes clear that whoever was working there did not have the interests of the residents at heart.

"We cannot allow this situation to go unchallenged. That is why we are trying to locate the family that lost their loved one so that we will assist them restore their lives. In addition, I am in the process of communicating with the Human Settlements Portfolio Committee as well as the new MEC, Mr. Ravi Pillay so that we come up with a solution to this problem. Mazibuko went on to pledge that he will approach the Public Protector to intervene. "We just cannot ignore this blatant squandering of the tax-payers' money evident in the horrible position these houses are in. As a result, we have resolved to approach the Office of the Public Protector to intervene with the intention to ascertain if no one should be held responsible for this situation," he ended.

Statement issued by M. Joshua Mazibuko, MPL, Member: Human Settlements Portfolio Committee, KwaZulu-Natal legislature, November 27 2011

IFP RETRACTS STATEMENT ON MPISANE

The IFP has retracted the assertions the party made in a statement issued on Friday 25 November which accused the Mpisane Company for being responsible for the low-cost houses which were swept away by heavy rains at Izakhiwo ZakwaMgaga in Ward 77, J Section uMlazi last week and one of which caused the death of Mr Julius Khumalo.

The IFP delegation led by the party's Member of the Provincial Legislature Mr Joshua Mazibuko, visited the area last Friday to see the situation for themselves following reports from received from some residents. According to the IFP, It was during that visit that they were informed by some residents that those houses were built by the company owned by the Mpisane family. 

In a statement he issued today in response to reports of denials by the Mpisane family, Mazibuko said:

"From reports I have just received from some reporters, the Mpisane family is unhappy with the statement we issued which implicated their company as being responsible for the very poorly-built low-cost houses at Izakhiwo ZakwaMgaga in Ward 77, J Section uMlazi, which were swept away by the heavy rains last week; one of which caused the death of Mr Julius Khumalo. 

"Our statement was issued in good faith, based on the information we received from some residents of the area. And we had no reason to doubt the accuracy of the facts since we received them from the people who occupy those houses.  

"However, having heard of the Mpisane family's denial of any involvement in the said housing project, the IFP wishes to express its apology and to unconditionally retract the assertions made which laid the blame at their door-step. We regret the inconvenience this has caused to the Mpisane family.  The IFP has no personal vendetta against the Mpisane family. All we did was to convey the concerns as expressed to us by the residents. As a party of integrity we will never go out of our way to deliberately besmirch the name of any person, regardless of who they are. 

"The Mpisane family's denial, which we accept, however makes us even more determined to leave no stone unturned in efforts to expose the company which built those houses and to ensure that they are held accountable. 

Statement issued by M. Joshua Mazibuko, IFP MPL, November 28 2011

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