R11 billion government project left buildings empty and stripped by criminals – Photos
The R11 billion Montrose Mega City Human Settlements Project in Randfontein has been abandoned and is now in a state of decay.
The Montrose Mega Project was launched in 2017 by former Gauteng Premier David Makhura and former MEC for Human Settlements Paul Mashatile.
The R11 billion development promised to deliver an integrated, high-density, mixed-income city that would expand access to housing and economic opportunities.
However, despite billions flowing into the project, it is now in a dismal state and continues to languish in disrepair.
An oversight inspection of phases 1 and 2 of the project by the Democratic Alliance (DA) revealed the poor state of the project.
The oversight committee witnessed stripped doors, window frames, and roofing, collapsed walls, exposed reinforcing steel, and stolen bricks.
“What was meant to be a thriving housing development looked more like the aftermath of a tornado,” said Evert Du Plessis, DA Gauteng spokesperson for human settlements.
“The bulk infrastructure needed to support the development is missing, underlining the lack of meaningful progress.”
“Instead of moving into safe, permanent housing, people in this area continue to live in inadequate conditions without water, electricity, or proper sanitation,” he said.
“At the same time, taxpayers are left footing the bill for a project that continues to disintegrate before their eyes.”
He said that years of neglect, inaction and poor oversight by the Gauteng Provincial Government have allowed public infrastructure to deteriorate.
Du Plessis said this happened despite warnings that the abandoned construction site had become a magnet for vandalism, theft, and the destruction of public assets.
Calls for accountability and forensic investigations into failed housing projects such as Montrose were ignored.
Du Plessis said they will demand answers from Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements, Tasneem Motara, on why this project has been abandoned.
They will also ask how much public money has been spent, who has been held accountable, and when the project will be rehabilitated and completed.
Photos of the Montrose Mega City Human Settlements Project in Randfontein
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