Human Settlements
With regard to housing needs in Kalbaskraal in the Swartland Municipality:
- (a) What are the housing plans, if any, for the Kalbaskraal community in the Swartland Municipality, (b) why was the community request for a PHP project, submitted in 2019, rejected and (c) why are residents of Spes Bona being asked to sign a document agreeing to an allocation of “6 roof sheets and 100 safe top nails from approved provincial funds”;
- whether funding will be allocated for formal housing or top structures; if so, (a) what funding, (b) for how many houses and (c) when?
(1)(a) Part of creating a housing opportunity is a service site and should not be seen in any other way. In general, this offer is identified with the input of Municipalities, as the local authority understand their housing needs. We should also keep in mind that the current economic climate might lead us in to offering more serviced sites, as opposed to top structures. During September 2019, my department granted approval for the provision of 134 Serviced Sites in the Kalbaskraal project. The project is currently underway, and it is hoped that the beneficiaries will take occupation of their sites during November 2020. Currently, the municipality has no further plans for development in Kalbaskraal.
(b) All projects to be considered for funding has to be identified in the municipality’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP). The project in question was not identified in the municipality’s IDP and can therefore not be funded.
The community was informed of the procedures regarding the funding of projects.
(c) The beneficiaries were temporarily relocated from the construction site to enable the contractor to install the civil services, and hence the beneficiaries were allocated emergency kits from funding approved by my department for which they were asked to sign a document confirming receipt of these materials.
(2)(a)(b)(c) Other than Kalbaskraal, the municipality has not identified any further projects for this area at this stage.
