The Eastern Cape housing department has awarded the construction of government houses worth R24 million to emerging contractors, an official said on Tuesday.
Spokesman Lwandile Sicwetsha said the 17 emerging contractors recently graduated from a construction management training course arranged by the department with the Nelson Mandela Metro University.
"These emerging contractors will build 430 housing units in Mt Pleasant Project in Fort Beaufort and Transit Camp Project (Makana).
"This represents an average of 25 housing units per emerging contractor. Work on these projects will start next month and the building of the houses will be completed early next year," he said.
He said another 220 housing units had been set aside for construction by local emerging contractors in the Makana municipality.
The contractors included two disabled, two youth and five women who run construction companies.
"Plans are at an advanced stage to allocate housing units to emerging contractors in other parts of the province.
"Already 398 housing units have been set aside for emerging contractors in Alfred Nzo region," he said.He said a second batch of contractors would be trained in various skills through the construction sector education training authority.
Further Education and Training (FET) colleges had also been approached to provide training to emerging contractors.
The department had entered into memorandums of agreement with the public works and the Eastern Cape Development Corporation to train emerging contractors.
"This is a partnership between three parties on the implementation of skills training, coaching and mentorship programmes for emerging contractors." - Sapa
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