'Proud of ourselves' Lindiwe Sisulu on SONA 2014 speech

Solar power for new Cape Town housing

Cape Town - Load shedding will become a dim memory for some residents of Belhar when work is completed next year on Cape Town’s first low-cost housing project to have solar-powered lighting.

“Residents will not be left in the dark when load shedding occurs,” said mayor Patricia de Lille.

“Not only is this good for the environment, it will also reduce residents’ electricity costs.”

De Lille launched the R34 million Belhar-Pentech development on Thursday with a promise, a plea and a strong caution to protect the development against drug dealers and shebeens.

She promised the 340 beneficiaries of the new project that their houses would be ready within 12 months, as scheduled.

“In an effort to speed up delivery we have appointed a contractor who will be building the houses and installing the bulk infrastructure simultaneously.”

But she also warned residents about letting drug dealers and illegal shebeens move into the development.

“You will sign a clause that says if there is any selling of drugs or alcohol, we will evict you. We mustn’t let (these people) live among us.”

She also urged the community to let the contractors do their work.

“There are lots of projects that are standing still because of community dynamics. We have got a year to finish this.

“If there are things that make you unhappy; don’t let it stall the project,” she said.

The 340 beneficiaries are from Belhar, Bellville South, Ravensmead and Elsies River.

Clarina Adams, who lives in the area, said she had told her children to give thanks every day for the opportunity to live in their own house.

She has been on the city’s housing waiting list since 1994.

De Lille said the city had managed to bring down the housing backlog from 400,000 to 258,000.

“It’s still a lot and it’s going to go up again because of urbanisation.” But she said the municipality was trying to speed up housing delivery.

“We are also not going to keep building rubbish for our poor people.”

The city was having to repair 40 000 RDP houses built without ceilings and adequate waterproofing, she said. This kind of shoddy construction ended up costing the municipality twice as much in repair costs.

De Lille said the Belhar development’s houses were designed to enable beneficiaries to build on to their two-bedroomed homes.

Each house has been allocated 120m2 of land specifically for this purpose, and the building plans for extensions have been pre-approved.

The development was close to transport routes, schools and employment opportunities, said De Lille.

The city has also committed 10 percent in rand value of the project - R3.5 million - to creating 100 jobs for the community through its expanded public works programme.

Councillor Desmond Jaftha, chair of Subcouncil 6, said he had already submitted motions for similar projects in other areas.

De Lille said efforts had been made to promote local skills and R5.2m had been set aside for local contractors to apply for subcontracting tenders.

The PVC solar panels would also be locally produced.

anel.lewis@inl.co.za

- Cape Argus

Bo-Kaap residents accused of torching shacks

Cape Town - About 60 shack dwellers living in the Bo-Kaap have been left destitute after their 12 shacks were torched last week, and they suspect unhappy local residents of being behind the fire.

Tensions are rising in the area, with angry residents accusing the shack dwellers of introducing a scourge of crime and drugs to the area.

The group of homeless people are now squatting under a tree on a street corner.

Bo-Kaap Civic chairman Osman Shaboodien said he had heard rumours of an arson attack, among other possible causes, for the fire that swept through the Farm, but there was no certainty.

“There’s nothing confirmed, and there’s no traces of a petrol bomb,” Shaboodien said.

“I don’t think members of the community would stoop to such a level. It’s inhumane.”

The area of land is known as the Farm, and was previously a military base along Military Road, which leads up to the Noon Day Gun. The land belongs to the Department of Public Works.

Hazel Maphomey had lived on the Farm for seven years before her shack was gutted.

“The police confirmed a petrol bomb was involved. We know people don’t want us here.”

She appealed to the Bo-Kaap residents: “Please understand what we’re going through, and just have a heart. All I want is for the community around us to bear with us. We have nowhere else to go.”

But Bo-Kaap residents meeting police, Neighbourhood Watch and ward councillor Dave Bryant on Monday night said the “squatters” had caused a scourge of crime, violence and drugs in the area, and they felt threatened in their homes and feared for the safety of their children.

“Everybody in this community is scared,” said one woman.

“I live on that corner and they are constantly targeting me.”

A man added: “They jump over the walls and washing disappears off lines.”

Another said: “They are selling drugs and poisoning our children.”

But Rose Hendricks, who has lived on the Farm for six years, said many of the people living there were not criminals.

“They tried to kill innocent people,” she said.

“Not all of us are doing drugs here.”

Hendricks burst into tears when she thought about her kitten that died in the fire.

“She was only two months old. I don’t have children, I only had that cat. I loved that cat.”

Edward Abrahams has lived in the Bo-Kaap for 50 years, and said the squatters had made life hell for residents.

“These people are not supposed to be here,” he said.

“A lot of criminals have come over from The Kraal, and drug users come up from the Parade. Our life is one big hell here.”

Abrahams said a tourist was mugged there just days earlier, in the area surrounding Signal Hill and the Noon Day Gun.

“How’s it going to affect tourism when people can’t even go up there in safety?”

The Bo-Kaap residents decided to reconvene in two weeks, when they hope Public Works will be present at the meeting.

chelsea.geach@inl.co.za

- Cape Argus