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
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