Mellon homes in on building blitz of South African townships

PHILANTHROPIST Niall Mellon has raised his ambitions for this year’s South African township building blitz by 25% despite the downturn in the construction industry.

Cranking up the campaign for his township trust, he said he wants to encourage 2,008 volunteers to travel to Cape Town where they will be asked to build 250 houses in one week.

Last year 1,380 builders and support volunteers delivered 200 houses to the residents of the Freedom Park Township who had previously been living in shacks.