by Omar Horzook
The end to Build Week, 16-20 July, saw the team having to work
on Saturday, 21-07-12 in a drive to push for completion. Despite the team’s
best effort not everything could be achieved. This left some important elements
outstanding, as well as many smaller details. These include the door to be
fitted into the opening in the north wall, the brick columns to be built around
the extended steel supports, the structure for and completion of the roof
extension, and the tip-up doors to the south.
Sunday 22-07 - The
construction team decided that Sunday was to be a rest day.
Monday 23-07 - Owing
to a number of community meetings, commencement of building was postponed from Monday to Tuesday.
Tuesday 24-07 - Building
was off to a late start as many of the Slovo Park residents employed in the
adjacent cemetery project
were unsure of their employment position due to the project being temporarily halted. This is in part due to the
complaints by the Slovo Park residents of their possible
eviction to make space for the cemetery for project.
Building work commenced around
3pm with much of the steel work being done. Some brickwork from the previous
week was also corrected or completed. A quick tidying up of the site saw all
rubble being collected to fill the base of the bench cavity wall. This was
topped with soil and moistened to help settle and level the soil.
Wednesday 25-07 - (O. Horzook absent)
Support structure of the roof extension to the west was largely completed, with
only the southern end having
been delayed due to the lack of material and a generator. The brick piers forming the partitions for the
benches were finished off to cill level. The
concrete topping for the benches was cast and left to cure
Thursday 26-07 - Yet
again, construction for the day was delayed, with myself and Mohau having to
run errands to draw money, and to
purchase groceries for meals for the build team. Some work carried on on site, but only a few volunteers
were present. With the concrete having settled, preparations were under way to
finish the bench with the timber slats prepared during Build Week 1. The
detailing for this was only resolved at the end of the day, leaving the
finishing for Friday. Final adjustments to the windows were made, and the
filling in of the external window cills began. For this, it was decided to use
the clay tiles donated by Akhani. 
Jhono
arrived on site with roof sheeting and cement collected in Brakpan, as organised
by Kiana. These sheets were
immediately fitted to the hall, with only a 1/3 of the length outstanding. Building material
including Sanitaryware, countertops and mirrors were generously donated and delivered to site by Builders Warehouse
Rivonia, organised by Abby.
Friday 27-07 - Installation
of the timber seats started first thing in the morning whilst the local team
was still at breakfast.
This took the rest of the day, with only four of the six benches being completed, owing to a shortage of nails.
The
door to the north was eventually brought into the hall, and is brickwork surround integrated into that of the adjacent brick support column. Mr Mapara also
continued with the brick columns
to the east side between the benches. The remainder of the roof sheets
were fitted, and the polycarbonate sheets above the west windows were cut and prepared. Fitting of these commenced in the
afternoon.
Friday Evening - Having
left the site at 5:30pm, work still carried on by the locals. Some more
brickwork was finished,
with the bulk of the late-night work being welding of the south door frames. Members of the 1:1 Team came to lend a hand,
including Jhono Bennett. Work ensued until 12:30am
Saturday morning.
