Eskom keen to get rid of cash-burning flats

R840m residential block derelict with more money spent on workers' transport

The abandoned Kusile housing project, which has cost Eskom R840m, has caused outrage from parliament's portfolio committee on public enterprises.
The abandoned Kusile housing project, which has cost Eskom R840m, has caused outrage from parliament's portfolio committee on public enterprises.
Image: Thulani Mbele

The Wilge Residential Development Project near Kusile power station in Mpumalanga should be Eskom’s showcase of dynamism and appreciation of its employees.

With its modern look and four-storey apartment blocks boasting aluminium windows and balcony railings, the development should be one of the SOE's prestige projects.

But the multimillion-rand development, which initially started with a budget of R160m in 2008, before it ballooned to more than R800m by the time it was abandoned in 2019, has become a symbol of monumental waste of taxpayers' money.

A total of 336 units were to be developed in the project to house workers at the Kusile power station during its construction.

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