Tshikota residents have expressed frustration over the stalled R95 million Tshikota Community Residential Units (CRU) project, intended to provide improved housing for families living in poor conditions. The development comprises 118 units, including two-bedroom and bachelor units.
In 2024, Limpopo MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA), Basikopo Makamu, visited the site to fast-track construction. However, residents say work came to a halt in October last year.
“We are now not sure what is going on with this project as the contractor has not been at the site for more than a year. Tshikota residents were happy when this project was initiated. We have some families living in unbearable conditions, and we were hoping they could find better accommodation at the CRU,” said one resident, who asked not to be named.
CoGHSTA said work stopped in mid-October 2025 after a contractual instruction required the contractor not to proceed without the site manager’s supervision. The department added that engineering designs are under review after the Vhembe District Municipality, the Water Services Authority, requested independent water sources, such as boreholes, due to water scarcity in Tshikota and surrounding areas. Approval of revised designs is still pending.
The department did not name the contractor, but a site signboard identifies Tubatse Products as the contractor and Lumar Engineering Consultants as the consulting engineer.
According to CoGHSTA, R12.5 million has been spent on completed work, including earthworks, sewer networks, and stormwater infrastructure. All project milestones have been budgeted for, and no impact on the overall budget is anticipated.
While no completion date has been set, the department said that once the designs are approved by Eskom and the municipality, the contractor will be instructed to submit an acceleration plan to recover lost time.
During a site visit on Saturday, 24 January, Limpopo Mirror found the project site appearing abandoned, with grass and bushes overgrowing the area. Several vehicles were parked inside the premises, and two female security guards were on duty.
The project’s Community Liaison Officer, Manthada Malima, told Limpopo Mirror he is also uncertain about the stoppage. “We last worked on the project in October 2025 installing pipes on the site, and all of a sudden we stopped. The community is now frustrated. They were expecting to benefit from this project,” he said.
Malima added that workers reportedly have not been paid their October salaries to date.
When Tubatse Products was contacted for comment, the person answering the phone declined to comment. He referred all questions to CoGHSTA or the consulting engineer. He said that these organisations will be able to explain why the workers were not paid.