Minister issues ultimatum for completion of survivors’ houses

WESTERN PROVINCE RUBVAU — The Minister of State in Charge of Community Development and Social Affairs, Christine Nyatanyi, has said that the 22nd of August will be the deadline for Rubavu district’s construction of the 603 houses for the genocide survivors. Nyatanyi issued the ultimatum recently while meeting district committees in charge of the construction of the survivor’s houses. “Districts have been given enough time to complete this work. The construction began in January this year and we are in July yet a lot remains undone. The government provided the necessary building materials to quicken the exercise but some districts have not performed to their expectation,” she explained. After inspecting some of the houses, the minister said the completion should be fast because the rainy season was approaching. She warned the district authorities against favoritism while giving out the completed buildings. Asked why the construction process had delayed, the district Mayor Celestin Twagirayezu attributed it to lack of enough building materials especially iron sheets. “We lacked enough iron sheets which is the reason why 148 houses are still unroofed. The construction is however faster because the government recently provided all the necessary building materials,” he explained. According to the Mayor, the district has so far completed 112 houses out of the expected 602. 148 have reached roofing stage, 48 still under brick laying process while 215 houses are at the foundation level. He said that the district has 85 plots on which all the 603 house will be constructed. Twagirayezu urged housing committees to expedite the construction process. He also appealed to youths across the district to volunteer labour towards the construction work. “This is everyone’s responsibility. We should work together to provide shelter to the survivors by turning up for the community work where activities such as brick making are done,” he said. Ends