OUDTSHOORN – The MEC for the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements, Mr Bonginkosi Madikizela has commended Oudtshoorn Municipality for registering a Social Housing project – the first in the Western Cape outside the Cape Metro, this was during his courtesy visit to Oudtshoorn on Tuesday, 21 May 2013.
MEC Madikizela has furthermore assured that the project will get approval from his office as it forms part of the Department’s priorities. Mr Madikizela commented on the report the Oudtshoorn Municipality tabled before him in a meeting attended by the Oudtshoorn Municipal Council municipal management and officials from the Western Cape Department of Human Settlement.
MEC Madikizela who was welcomed by the Executive Mayor of the Greater Oudtshoorn, Aldm Gordon April told the meeting that part of his visit not only to Oudtshoorn but to all other Municipalities was also aimed at finding out challenges facing the Municipalities regarding Human Settlements related projects and how such challenges were addressed more particularly spending commitments of housing funds.
Responding to the MEC’s concern’s on the credibility of the housing waiting list, the acting Municipal Manager, Mr Ronnie Lottering said: “We did embark on a housing waiting list verification process which was completed in February 2013. The information is now being captured and an independent service provider will be appointed for auditing of the new housing database and we striving towards completion of the database by the end of May 2013.
While MEC Madikizela praised the Municipality for good performance in its housing delivery process based on allocated fund he also advised that the Municipality must give a special focus on beneficiaries in categories of senior citizen, people living with serious disabilities and farm workers. As well as to expedite registering of title deeds more particularly the old housing projects as this is a vehicle of economic empowerment to the community.
The Acting Director for Community Services Directorate also Manager Special Project in the Municipal Human Settlement department, Mr Gavin Juthe has in his presentation before the minister, highlighted the following projects as being completed:
- 129 infill site projects (Bridgton and surroundings) 2011
- Infill site project of 48 housing units in the Mandela Heights area near Toekomsrus, project completed in 2012
- Kairos housing project, 23 units
- Services of land for the 161 sites in De Rust, completed by 30 March 2013
- Basic Bulk Services for 875 housing units in Rosevalley has also been completed
- Mr Juthe furthermore informed the meeting about R27 Million worth human settlement projects that are in the loop. “The construction of the 161 housing units for De Rust will commence in July 2013,” he said. MEC Madikizela signalled that the servicing of 300 ervens for Rosevalley will be approval by the Department.
Human Settlement Plan
The Municipality has recently embarked on a campaign to get inputs towards the development of the Human Settlement Plan and has received valuable contribution from the community; this document will now form part of the Spatial Development Framework of Council (SDF) which will be completed by June 2014.
