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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape is calling on the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) to attend to derelict military accommodation in Postmasburg, almost a year after a fire in an unsafe army home, killed a mother and her daughter.

An oversight inspection to military houses in the neighbourhood of Postdene has confirmed that the SANDF has not yet pulled down the temporary trailer park homes which were reportedly declared uninhabitable more than a decade ago. Two of these houses caught alight last year, allegedly due to electrical faults. The first fire destroyed an unoccupied park home while the second claimed the lives of the wife and daughter of a sergeant, stationed at the Lohatla military training area outside Postmasburg.

The SANDF has also done nothing to maintain and secure its rundown brick homes which are still accommodating people. The empty brick homes are being vandalized and stripped, with windows and burglar bars broken, ceilings missing and cupboards and taps stripped. Residents are too scared to leave their homes, for fear of them being emptied out by vagrants and drug users, who are making use of the vacant homes. 

The grounds are also unmaintained, with grass knee-high. The fencing around the property is broken and the entrance gate hangs from a hinge.

In addition to the lack of maintenance of the properties, the SANDF is also not maintaining a number of empty erfs in Postmasburg, creating an eyesore for local residents and hideaways for criminals.

The SANDF, which leases properties from the Department of Public Works, used to maintain and do regular inspections of its Postmasburg properties but has over the years tacitly relinquished responsibility, aggravating the deterioration of the town.

The matter has been referred to Ofentse Mokae, DA Member of the Select Committee on Security and Justice, to take up with the Minister of Defense during the next question and answer session. The SANDF must reclaim its properties and its place as the pride of Postmasburg.

Issued by James Boucher, Cllr - Tsantsabane Municipality