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The NHBRC in partnership with Innovative Building Technolgy developers - Habitat Modular Construction - handed   over an environmentally friendly home to 8-year old Koketso Machibuku who has a heart and lung condition as part of its social transformation programme.
 
This came as a request from the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements following a Daily Sun article which featured Machibuku’s living conditions in 2016 and her health challenges. At the time Machibuku who was a 5 year old toddler lived in a squatter camp in Mamelodi East where the living conditions also exacerbated her heart and lung condition. She depends on an oxygen cylinder and its operations were affected by the continual power outages due to irregular electricity supply.
 
The 3-bedroomed home that Machibuku will share with her family was built in Moloto, Mpumalanga, with the intervention of the Mpumalanga Department of Human Settlements and the cooperation of the traditional authority under the leadership of Chief Baba Gawula.
 
“NHBRC is required to educate the country about Innovative Building Technologies (IBTs).  Therefore, initiatives such as this gives us an opportunity to ensure that as an organisation we continue to live up to our commitment of being a world-class home builders’ warranty organisation, ensuring the delivery of sustainable, quality homes at a time when the idea of living in a healthy and environmentally sustainable manner may seem an unrealisable dream to many South Africans,” said Bongiwe Duba - NHBRC Chairperson of the Social Transformation and Empowerment Committee (STEC) of Council.
NHBRC CEO Mziwonke Dlabantu highlighted that this is part of the NHBRC’s research strategy which prompted the NHBRC to promote the uptake of IBTs in real life situations with real life beneficiaries; hence we have made this donation.  “The NHBRC is researching structural performance of all registered Innovative Building systems across the country, to determine if such systems meet the minimum NHBRC standards requirement of 30 years (minimum) structural performance, without a need to maintain the structural integrity of that system,” said Dlabantu.
 
Local Councillor Makgatho highlighted that shortage of housing was one of their key challenges as there is still a struggle to meet the demands on the ground and contributions such as these are appreciated as they uplift the community and would like to see more of these things happen.
 
Little Koketso was visibly excited about her new home, however, the area around the property still needs paving and planting of trees and vegetables, in order further enhance her quality of life and provide sustainable food sources for the family going forward.
 

Issued by NHBRC