Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, has appealed to community members not to vandalise the newly-built houses for military veterans.
Sisulu together with the Nelson Mandela Bay Executive Mayor, Athol Trollip, were in Chatty in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday to hand over two houses to beneficiaries to commemorate International Mandela Day.
The Chatty 491 military veterans housing project is part of the Zanemvula Mega Project which was established to accommodate military veterans and also to relocate families from the Chatty River floodplain to the greenfield serviced sites in Chatty and Joe Slovo township.
Sisulu said there had been a delay in the building of houses for Mk veterans however 51 were ready for occupation.
She said the department would work with local government to ensure that the process is speeded up and the premises is secured.
"The biggest problem we've been experiencing here is that every house that has been completed is open to vandalism," Sisulu said.
She said the veterans have asked that the department to find a way to secure their homes.
"I'm going to take this request back to HDA, which responsible for building, so that it becomes a secure environment, because these are elderly people and they feel very vulnerable," Sisulu concluded.
Meanwhile, Thobile Smith, regional chairperson for the South African National Military Veteran Association, said he wants the minister to explain to veterans why building the houses took a long time.
He said the building of the houses started two years ago, but only a few were ready for occupation causing anger and confusion with the military veterans.
