PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - The Bitou Municipality has dubbed a recent housing meeting with Qolweni residents as a success after the municipality and residents agreed to "work together to accelerate" the area's housing development project.

Housing has been an issue for residents for quite some time and over the past year led to several incidents of protesting in the coastal holiday town.

On 20 January the municipality and residents met and resolved that among others the profiling process, to identify housing beneficiaries, needed to be concluded and the process of moving beneficiaries from the area known as Kwa Rasta to a temporary relocation area (TRA) in Bossiesgif needed to start for the construction to commence.

Bitou municipal manager Lonwabo Ngoqo said that the initial stages of the profile had identified 18 beneficiaries and that, following their relocation, the construction of an initial 33 "top structures" could begin.

"The 33 top structures are 20% of the 169 units that will be built as part of the Qolweni housing development. The Western Cape department of human settlements have committed to the project," Lonwabo said.

He added that although these structures were initially scheduled to have been completed by the end of March this year, logistical delays pushed the completion date to between April and May.

Lonwabo said the profiling process also revealed that Kwa Rasta was home to non-beneficiaries and residents who had benefited from previous housing projects. 

He added that during the meeting it was agreed that the Bitou Municipality and members of the Qolweni Concerned Residents Committee would assist in facilitating their relocation "peacefully and smoothly".

He added that the municipality's community services directorate also agreed to engage with provincial government to expedite the construction of 170 units on the TRA from March to February this year. "This will speed up the process of relocating the beneficiaries."

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