We have noted the Alberton RECORD’s article on the approved scheme for the RDP housing in Mayberry Park and we, as the steering committee, wish to set the record straight and correct some misunderstandings.
The former ward councillor Michael Basch, somewhere around 2015, supported a mixed-use development (the development) which comprised of bonded houses, commercial/retail offices, a light industrial park and public amenities.
For such a scheme to be carried out, there is a need for public participation.
For the Palmietfontein Scheme it is on record that this did not happen.
Therefore, it is incorrect to claim that “there were no objections to the proposed development” as the contrary was subsequently proven and the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality never intended to engage with the residents of Ward 94, it merely engaged in a flawed box-ticking exercise.
Furthermore, at a meeting held with the steering committee on July 16, 2019 at the council chambers, the MMC ,in the presence of his officials and consultants, undertook to release the remaining information.
To date we are yet to receive this information.
Based on what is on record it would seem that the council, acting as a real estate agent and a commercial developer, is using the taxpayers’ money on “speculative” construction and on-selling of bonded houses without a proper demand forecast, financial viability, market research and a buy-in from the major banks that this scheme is bankable.
Prior to a public meeting which was held at the Bracken Park Hall on May 28, 2019 where the Housing MMC undertook to engage with the steering committee, the following documents were requested:
• The status of the initial “mixed-use” development
• The approved and current spatial development plan
• The environmental impact analysis (EIA) report
• The traffic impact analysis report
• The social amenities needs analysis
• The crime and public order policing analysis
• The infrastructure maintenance plan and
• The details of the contractors that the council appointed.
Note that only the EIA report was released.
At a meeting held on January 15, which was postponed from December 2019, the steering committee and the ward councillor were merely notified that the scheme is going ahead – no indication was given as to whether the council has complied with the EIA approval conditions.
The EIA conditions required that the council should notify the “affected” parties in writing about the approved EIA plans and the impact thereof. It is on record that this never happened.
At the above-mentioned meeting, the ward councillor was requested to hand over the site to the appointed contractor (Karabo Construction) and only at this handover was the community, the steering committee and the ward councillor shown the “revised” plans.
The revised plans supposedly have a park, a school and a public health-care facility and a police station.
We subsequently sent an email to the project manager seeking written guarantees that the relevant departments have done the necessary needs assessment to build the said amenities.
To date we have not received this information.
The council purportedly reworked the proposed plans and reduced the free houses from 400 to 63 in order not to erode the property values.
If the council is that certain that the property values would not depreciate; then can they guarantee value preservation and what plan do they have that underwrites this promise?
Furthermore, we suspect that all these units, bonded and rental, will be converted into free houses and the promised public facilities will not be provided.
Notwithstanding the above, we are committed to a sincere, professional and transparent engagement with the council in order to address the genuine concerns of the affected communities and to find a winning solution.
Members from Ward 94 steering committee
*The RECORD forwarded this letter to the relevant parties for comment and will publish it as soon as it is received.
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