WESTERN Cape local government and housing MEC Richard Dyantyi has warned that his department will not tolerate “chancers” when allocating houses in the poorer areas of Plettenberg Bay.
Speaking at a sod-turning ceremony in the Qolweni squatter camp outside the resort town at the weekend, Dyantyi said the government was creating not just housing, but assets.
“These are more than houses or shelter. We are creating human settlements so you have to be responsible and take care of what you get from the government, especially because of this area‘s market value.”
Government faced “big challenges” in delivering housing and his department would not tolerate people receiving houses, selling them and then moving back to the local squatter camp only to protest a lack of housing again, he said.
Qolweni, Pine Tree, Gaatjie and Bossiesgif, all situated along the N2 highway, are set to receive housing for around 1 300 families living in shacks at present.
At present, private contractors SSI Engineers are demarcating the individual erven, each measuring around 180m². They are grading roads and laying infrastructure like water, sewerage and electricity.
SSI‘s Keith Turner, who addressed over 600 residents who turned up at the ceremony and day-long festivities on Saturday, said the project was taking place in phases. Pine Tree, Gaatjie and Bossiesgif should have infrastructure in by January next year.
“Once the roads are done in phase 1A (Pine Tree and Gaatjie), building can start as the erven will be serviced,” he said.
Servicing the first 265 erven was costing R10-million. “There‘s a lot of rock in some areas and that pushes up the cost. Other areas will be easier,” Turner said.
Dyantyi said the Western Cape faced huge backlogs in housing delivery because of problems created by the apartheid past. The powers that be in the 1970s decided that Plettenberg Bay should never have an established township. The Qolweni transit camp was never developed as a result and no effort was made to make it hospitable. However, despite the difficulties they faced, residents refused to move further away from their workplace.
“Today‘s just a beginning and there‘s more to come. You people deserve better. We will deliver services wherever there‘s a need but we also have to address other problems, like bringing employment from the private sector,” Dyantyi said.
Manny Sitomi, the chief director of planning development in the department, said they were performing an in situ upgrade of the settlement, comprising the demarcation of erven, service delivery and then the building of dwellings.
As erven were serviced, residents could either start building at their own cost or apply for a housing grant, should they qualify.
For those who did not qualify, the department was looking at building apartments for rent.
He said upgrading the informal settlement and providing housing for the previously disadvantaged formed part of his department‘s “coming together” project, which would eventually see government departments being clustered closer to the people.
The service-delivery phase is estimated to cost the Bitou council about R39-million. - The Herald
Speaking at a sod-turning ceremony in the Qolweni squatter camp outside the resort town at the weekend, Dyantyi said the government was creating not just housing, but assets.
“These are more than houses or shelter. We are creating human settlements so you have to be responsible and take care of what you get from the government, especially because of this area‘s market value.”
Government faced “big challenges” in delivering housing and his department would not tolerate people receiving houses, selling them and then moving back to the local squatter camp only to protest a lack of housing again, he said.
Qolweni, Pine Tree, Gaatjie and Bossiesgif, all situated along the N2 highway, are set to receive housing for around 1 300 families living in shacks at present.
At present, private contractors SSI Engineers are demarcating the individual erven, each measuring around 180m². They are grading roads and laying infrastructure like water, sewerage and electricity.
SSI‘s Keith Turner, who addressed over 600 residents who turned up at the ceremony and day-long festivities on Saturday, said the project was taking place in phases. Pine Tree, Gaatjie and Bossiesgif should have infrastructure in by January next year.
“Once the roads are done in phase 1A (Pine Tree and Gaatjie), building can start as the erven will be serviced,” he said.
Servicing the first 265 erven was costing R10-million. “There‘s a lot of rock in some areas and that pushes up the cost. Other areas will be easier,” Turner said.
Dyantyi said the Western Cape faced huge backlogs in housing delivery because of problems created by the apartheid past. The powers that be in the 1970s decided that Plettenberg Bay should never have an established township. The Qolweni transit camp was never developed as a result and no effort was made to make it hospitable. However, despite the difficulties they faced, residents refused to move further away from their workplace.
“Today‘s just a beginning and there‘s more to come. You people deserve better. We will deliver services wherever there‘s a need but we also have to address other problems, like bringing employment from the private sector,” Dyantyi said.
Manny Sitomi, the chief director of planning development in the department, said they were performing an in situ upgrade of the settlement, comprising the demarcation of erven, service delivery and then the building of dwellings.
As erven were serviced, residents could either start building at their own cost or apply for a housing grant, should they qualify.
For those who did not qualify, the department was looking at building apartments for rent.
He said upgrading the informal settlement and providing housing for the previously disadvantaged formed part of his department‘s “coming together” project, which would eventually see government departments being clustered closer to the people.
The service-delivery phase is estimated to cost the Bitou council about R39-million. - The Herald
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