Gauteng Human Settlements Dept satisfied with hostel renovations

JOHANNESBURG - The Gauteng Human Settlements Department said it's satisfied with progress made at a number of Johannesburg hostels undergoing renovations worth half a billion rands.

On Wednesday, the department conducted oversight visits to five of the six hostels under its control.

MEC Tasneem Motara said the aim of the three-year project was not only to make the hostels habitable again but to refurbish the buildings into family units.

She said while there were delays at the start of the project, a few residents were now living in fully refurbished units.

"If you see paving, that means that underneath we've replaced and improved or expanded the capacity of sewer and water line. Inside we have repainted, we've replastered, replaced all the floors and all the doors and structural repairs."