MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Western Cape Government MEC for Human Settlements, Minister Tertuis Simmers, last week concluded a marathon oversight roadshow by visiting a new housing development on Louis Fourie Road in Mossel Bay.
MEC Simmers was accompanied by senior members of the Human Settlements Department.
The purpose of the roadshow was reviewing the progress at several housing developments on the Garden Route and to address the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown.
MEC Simmers and his group, following their visits to Plettenberg Bay, George, Knysna and Oudsthoorn, went to the Mountain View development on Louis Fourie Road in Mossel Bay, following a budget discussion with the Mossel Bay Municipality.
Reigniting the economy
During an interview with the Mossel Bay Advertiser on site at Mountain View, the head of the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements, Jacqui Samson, said the roadshow was scheduled to take place during the tabling of the budget in March, but Covid-19 necessitated a postponement.
She said the department, in an effort to address the impact of Covid-19, worked hard to reignite the economy by reopening construction sites during level 4 of the national lockdown, ahead of the rest of the country.
"We made sure that all the construction companies adhered to, not only all the occupational health regulations, but regulations pertaining to Covid-19.
Samson said the department was making a huge effort to curb the spread of the virus, specifically by being able to move people from densely populated areas such as informal settlements into housing developments timeously.
"This is also an opportunity to accelerate our basic services provision, since hygiene is so key in slowing the spread of Covid-19.
"However, the most important intervention the construction sites provide, is economic recovery." Samson continued that a balance must be obtained between securing a livelihood and saving lives. "The largest impact of Covid-19 is the impact on the economy."
She also elaborated on partnerships with other departments. "The Department of Water and Sanitation provided additional water tanks in areas identified where there is high density and low provision.
"The Mossel Bay Municipality also embarked on a mass sanitisation of communal toilets, which is a very good intervention."
Regarding the Garden Route last week being named a Covid-19 hotspot, Samson said the department was applying the lessons learnt from other hotspots, to prevent the spread of the virus.
"Apart from very strict rules at our construction sites, we focus on constant education within our communities, not to let their guard down by not, for instance, wearing a face mask."
Community commended
MEC Simmers commended communities on the Garden Route that, apart from construction delays caused during the two-month lockdown period, there were no issues regarding destruction of property at any of the housing developments visited.
"During a previous visit to the Garden Route, I asked the community members to take ownership of these developments and they did. I take my hat off to them."
He said of the major challenges at present is to stay in touch with the housing beneficiaries. "Municipalities in general admitted having problems with this. Our department strives to find ways to host community meetings online. To date, we have been successful in hosting a community meeting attended online by 2 500 viewers."
During a meeting in the council chambers, Mossel Bay executive mayor, Alderman Levendal, said the provision of housing was a specific priority for the municipality.
The Mountain View project is a R300 million investment. Despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, work on the project is ahead of schedule. Primary beneficiaries of the Mountain View housing development will be current backyard dwellers and people of the middle class and people who neither qualify for free housing nor a bank loan to afford the houses available on the market.
Upon completion, the project will offer approximately 2 000 housing opportunities.
Mayor Levendal urged the provincial Housing Department not to lose track of the housing needs in the rural communities, nor the areas where the land is owned by community property associations.
Councillor Niklaas Booisen and Alderman Cliffie Bayman asked that budgetary provisions be made for the ablutions project to ensure that the elderly, especially, do not have to continue using external ablutions.
An interview on site with the head of the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements, Jacqui Samsom, speaking to Cornelle Carstens from the Mossel Bay Advertiser.
Related article: Human Settlements Minister to visit Garden Route
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