Build Together owners fired up over ‘powerless’ houses

THE owners of 40 low-cost houses at Keetmanshoop’s Tseiblaagte residential area that are not connected to the town’s electricity grid staged a protest march yesterday.

The houses were built under the Town Council’s Build Together Project two years ago. The protestors brandishing placards marched to the Keetmanshoop Municipality to hand over a petition to its Chief Executive Officer, Paul Vleermuis.’How long are we going to live in darkness? Electricity is a need, support us,’ some of placards read. The homeowners claim that the agreement they signed with the Town Council stipulates that the houses would be provided with electricity.They claim that numerous complaints to the council have fallen on deaf ears.They gave the council two weeks to respond to their demands. The homeowners also complained about poor build quality, saying that 90 per cent of the houses have defects such as cracks in walls and floors, leaking roofs and water pipes as well as windows and doors that do not close properly. The Town Council lent the buyers N$32 000, repayable in monthly instalments of about N$250 over 20 years, to buy the houses.Some of the homeowners The Namibian spoke to threatened to withhold payment if the council does not repair the defects. – luqman@namibian.com.na