Nyanga public housing projects drags on for 13 years

Public housing in Nyanga has been under siege for 10 years.In Ward 37, community leaders are pressing the Western Cape Department ofInfrastructure to expedite the completion of long-standing unfinished houses atFreedom Square, part of the Masiphathisane Peoples Housing Process (PHP)project which sit abandoned and overgrown with weeds.

The process has taken so long that several of the intended beneficiaries have passed away, leaving their descendants in limbo. Those affected currently reside in Freedom Square Hostel, and the project was conceived as a means of relocating hostel dwellers to these homes. Criminal elements have taken advantage of these vacant houses, raising concerns within the community.

Ward councillor Sandile Martin lamented the lack of progress, citing unfulfilled department promises. The roots of this issue traceback to 2008 when the project received approval but was abruptly halted in 2010due to community disputes regarding allocations and the selection of a specific contractor.

Dumisani Qwebe, secretary of the Nyanga Community Policing Forum, concurred with Martin’s views, emphasizing the properties’ misuse by criminals, including a disturbing incident involving a slaughtered cow in one of the houses.

The Provincial Department of Infrastructure’s deputy director for communication, Muneera Allie, clarified that Freedom Square is an integral part of the community-driven Masiphathisane Peoples Housing Process(PHP) project, which initially gained approval in 2008 but experienced its 2010hiatus due to allocation disputes and contractor disagreements.

Allie noted that deliberations and negotiations have, overtime, resolved the allocation issues, paving the way for progress. The City and the Department of Infrastructure are presently reviewing proposals to complete the unfinished units and construct new ones in line with the original project. With agreement from all involved parties, the project can move forward as intended.

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