On Thursday, Executive Mayor – Patricia de Lille visited some of the families in Fisantekraal who moved into their new homes this past weekend. Mayoral Committee Member for the Transport and Urban Development, Cllr Brett Herron, and I were glad to share in the joy of the new homeowners who have been living in backyards and informal settlements for many years.
The group of 24 families, who moved into their new homes a few days ago, are part of the over 700 beneficiaries who have already moved into their homes. These homes were built during the first phase of the Greenville Garden Cities development in Fisantekraal, near Durbanville.
The City and its implementing partner are working hard to finish the final 101 homes. The City expects to hand over all of the remaining homes by October 2018.
Meanwhile, she is also excited to see that Phase 2 of the project has already started and the first group of families will move in as soon as October this year. The second phase will see about 500 homes being built for beneficiaries on the City’s housing waiting list.
This project forms part of a greater catalytic housing development which will eventually boast approximately 4 000 housing opportunities, social housing, and financed-linked houses. It also includes plans for schools, community facilities, public spaces and transport infrastructure. The houses are planned to be constructed over six phase
Meeting the new homeowners is always a humbling experience and I was glad to share in their joy of owning their first home. New homeowners Makanetso and Polao Rabohome said that they had been living as backyarders since 2000 and they were grateful that this winter they didn’t have to worry about a roof leaking or water running through their home.
Polao works as a security guard and they were able to buy a new couch and cupboard for their home. Meeting new homeowners like the Rabohome family shows that when the City of Cape Town assists our residents who are most in need, these residents will take pride in their belongings and work to better their lives. Working together, we can make progress possible and ensure a more just and equal Cape Town.
Similarly, I visited Xolani Nake at his home where he lives with his three children. He has been staying in a nearby informal settlement for the last 7 years and lived as a backyarder before then. He told me it was wonderful for him to move into his new home because he had been moving around a lot and it was good to finally settle down.
Executive Mayor – Patricia de Lille also met young Thobela Mekana who is disabled. Both his parents passed away four years ago and his younger brother Athenkosi, 17, helps to look after him.
The City of Cape Town is committed to providing our residents with dignity through home ownership and sustainable communities. The City is no longer building homes for specific racial groups in exclusive areas but is rather building integrated communities. I look forward to visiting these new homeowners again in the future to see how new friendships and an integrated community thrives as a result of the development.
The success of this project and delivering homes is proof of the City’s commitment to redressing the imbalances of the past and ensuring that we realise the goals of the Organisational Development and Transformation Plan by achieving excellence in service delivery.
‘The Greenville Garden Cities housing project is an excellent example of how we can build integrated human settlements with a sense of place. The architecture is appealing and reminiscent of the Bo-Kaap, the street design and landscaping give a sense of that this is a community and the incorporation of trading places, and even a dedicated building for an animal-welfare organisation, provide the components of a place that immediately feels like home.
‘This is a massive project in terms of numbers and will go a long way towards addressing our housing deficit. Despite the scale of the project, Garden Cities have managed, through careful urban design and architecture, to give the project a sense of neighbourhood. We need to acknowledge how important this is and learn from this approach for future projects,’ Cllr Herron said.
We wish the new homeowners all the best as they start a new and exciting chapter in their lives and appeal to them to take care of their homes.