[ Home ] [ Speeches & statements ]

8 April 2009

As the first group of former informal settlement residents prepare to return to free homes in Joe Slovo and the fourth batch of a thousand beneficiaries celebrate new homes in Delft, it has been announced that the N2 Gateway Pilot Project is about to enter an exciting new phase. Responsibility for the implementation of the project will be transferred from the state owned housing company Thubelisha to the new Housing Development Agency (HAD) with effect from tomorrow.

The Housing Development Agency (HDA) was created by an act of Parliament and launched in Durban earlier this year. The agency is technically resourced to manage large public housing projects in their entirety, from the holding of land to project implementation. One of the greatest housing development challenges in Cape Town is the availability of suitable land. The Western Cape Provincial Government has identified a number of land parcels owned by the province and is in the process of transferring the land to the HDA.

The transfer of responsibility of the N2 Gateway is being managed as a seamless process to ensure continuity and that the development proceeds without hiccup or delay.

The N2 Gateway marks several milestones today:
* The first 49 families to occupy newly built Breaking New Ground (BNG) homes in Joe Slovo have been identified. Three beneficiaries are to receive homes in a symbolic handover today:
* Mr Siketekete Kamfolo (58 years old)
* Mr Silumko Booi Nzekeni (83)
* Mrs Grissel Nomalinde Jim (63).

Kamfolo and Nzekeni are former Joe Slovo informal settlement residents who moved voluntarily to temporary relocation areas to facilitate the development. Jim has been a backyard-dweller in Zone three, Langa. The first completed affordable bonded units in Joe Slovo were unveiled, part of a 43 unit vision village developed by N2 Gateway partner, First National Bank (FNB). The fourth group of 1 000 beneficiaries to be given new two bedroom homes in Delft have settled in and will celebrate the achievement at a ceremony in Delft. With the completed BNG and affordable bonded homes joining the rental apartments already built at Joe Slovo, the new integrated human settlement approach to public housing development comes to the fore.

While the Constitutional Court is yet to pronounce judgement on the appeal by remaining residents of Joe Slovo informal settlement against relocating temporarily to Delft, earthworks for the development of the next 462 free homes is underway on the Vanguard Drive side of the site. The development of Delft continues apace. More than 4 000 families have already settled in new homes, with construction of another +6 000 homes underway.

The children of beneficiaries are already attending new schools built in the area while the national Department of Housing is piloting an exciting food garden project complete with grey water recycling and drip irrigation systems.
Earlier this year the provincial housing department awarded prizes for the first gardening competition to be held in Delft Symphony, while the Western Cape Premier led a provincial food garden initiative in Delft seven to nine over the past week.

The N2 Gateway is changing lives. Six months ago, when Katie Carelse moved into her new BNG home, she lamented that she was unemployed, and her son had to walk miles to school. Now her son attends school around the corner from their home, Ms Carelse has acquired a job as a cleaner at the school, and she is the proud owner of her own high-tech food garden.

Ms Carelse does not only have a house. After many years occupancy in Wendy houses and other backyard shelters, she now has a home, security and comfort. This is precisely what the Breaking New Ground policy of government seeks to achieve.

Issued by: Department of Housing, Gauteng Provincial Government
8 April 2009
Source: Department of Housing, Gauteng Provincial Government (http://www.housing.gpg.gov.za/)