SEVERAL National Housing Enterprise (NHE) houses at Ondangwa in the Oshana region are falling apart due to poor worksmanship and materials allegedly used in their construction.
One such aggrieved owner is Mary Manvwali of Erf 881, who said the NHE had ignored her requests for them to rectify the situation on her collapsing house.
The 51-year-old woman’s house has several visible cracks on the walls. She fears her house would collapse, as even its pillars were seriously chipped in 2011.
“I am seriously concerned about my safety in this house. It may fall one day while I am asleep inside, especially if a strong wind blows in the area,” she said in an interview with Nampa at her house earlier this week.
Manvwali has been renting the house at Ondangwa’s Shinime Shiivula suburb from the NHE since 2003, and will only receive the title deeds to the house when she finishes paying the total cost of N$180 000 in 2024 at a monthly instalment of N$1 800.
“It was a beautiful house, and I never thought it was built with poor materials until it started developing small cracks in 2005,” explained Manvwali.
She said NHE workers repaired the cracks in 2007, but they started reappearing in 2008 and in 2009, the ceiling started to fall as well.
Manvwali said she continued reporting these damages to the NHE offices at Oshakati as well as Windhoek, until she gave up last year.
“I want them (NHE) to come and fix my house immediately. I love my house, and cannot move out,” she said.
The NHE confirmed knowledge of the complaints from Manvwali, and said the matter is receiving attention.
The company’s manager for corporate communications and marketing Eric Libongani promised when approached for comment last week that an investigation into the matter will be conducted within the next 14 working days.
He said the investigation will help them make an informed decision on the validity of the complaints and a determination of the liability thereof.
“When the investigation is completed, the NHE will advise the client regarding our position in line with NHE policies and procedures,” Libongani noted.
Another resident told Nampa on Sunday that the NHE failed to fix the cracks and improperly-fitted tiles and windows of his house, despite several requests made to the company since 2003, the year he occupied his two-bedroom house registered as Erf 889.
“The NHE is playing games with us. The company sent three people to come and investigate the damages on my house on separate occasions, and I chased away the third person because I was fed up with their empty promises,” said Hendricks Simataa.
His house cost N$140 000, and he has a balance of N$16 000 to pay it off.
“I can pay the outstanding N$16 000 in cash, but I cannot do so before I get the title deeds from them,” said Simataa.
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