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KNYSNA NEWS - For months, the N2 near Nekkies has been plagued by stone throwing and burning tires and other debris in the road disrupting traffic, and for just as long questions relating to who the responsible parties are and for what reason they do it have hung in the air without answer. That is, until now.
Recently a handful of representatives of the community of Hlalane, situated metres from the bridge where most of the burning and stone throwing have taken place, approached Knysna-Plett Herald admitting it is Hlalane residents who were responsible for the chaos. "It's all about housing," said one member of the group.
They said the community had become so frustrated and fed-up with a municipality that does not communicate with them, that they felt the need to express their anger through these actions. "But we have come to realise this is only endangering other people's lives and want to approach the situation in a different way," said spokesperson Anele Vani.
Fruitless conversations with the local housing department have left the community feeling they have no other recourse but to approach the newspaper. Burning objects did not work, neither did trying to halt the development process, Vani said.
Numerous issues
Their issues with the housing project currently being developed in the area are numerous: the awarding of housing units to people unqualified or not registered for housing; shoddy workmanship that has been brought to the municipality's attention on numerous occasions but which seems to fall on deaf ears; the schedule for the development set out by the municipality is not being kept; and a homeowner who has developed their own plot so extensively that it is taking up the kind of space where three families could erect homes; among others.
Another issue was the erection of a house where a community hall was supposed to be built.
"We don't know how this could be possible," Vani said. "Our problem is not with people getting houses, we just want it to be done fairly," he added.
"Our ward councillor, the housing department, even the former mayor know about these issues. What makes it worse is that the new mayor has not even been here to come talk to us," Vani said. "We need an explanation. Some of the community members even had to move so that infrastructure could be developed, but still we all wait. The project started in 2015 already," Vani said.
Concerns 'adequately addressed'
According to the municipality, the local housing department has had several engagements with the Hlalani community and has "adequately addressed" their concerns. "Issues raised by the community have been explained and responded to by the department. The department has also responded to related issues in the formal council committee structures regarding the issues raised," a municipal statement reads.
Open plots are also a concern to residents as it seems no further building is taking place.
The municipality says the approval process for housing allocations is managed by the Western Cape department of human settlements based on information supplied by the applicants. "Where there is evidence of an improved change in the status of an approved beneficiary, this evidence can be submitted for a reassessment of the beneficiary's subsidy qualification. Normally, an applicant who was not previously approved will reapply for subsidy approval when there is a change in their status, e.g. where they become unemployed," it says, adding that land development commences before the finalisation of the beneficiary approval process and beneficiary lists are verified.
Regarding poor workmanship, the municipality says reports of shoddy work have been investigated and rectified by the project managers. "The project managers have confirmed that they were corrected," the municipality states.
'Unforeseen circumstances'
In addition, the municipality says, the Hlalane development is being done as part of the Upgrade of Informal Settlements Programme (UISP). "There are often unforeseen issues that impact on projected implementation timeframes in UISP projects". These issues include people refusing to move for services to be installed and community interference with contractors, causing work stoppage, the municipality states.
Regarding the allegation of an overdeveloping homeowner, it says the contractor was instructed to re-peg the properties. "The Hlalani Committee was present when the department went on site and are aware of the current status."
The property that was supposedly earmarked for a community hall, says the municipality, was serviced as part of a subsidised housing development in accordance with the project plan and cannot be allocated for any purpose other than human settlements in terms of the development grant conditions.
"At present there is nothing more or different that the new mayor can add and he is aware of the issues as reports are submitted to the Section 80 Committee," the statement concludes.
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