A REPORT outlining the City’s plan to eradicate more than 40 years of housing backlog was tabled at an Executive Committee meeting last week.
The City aims to find suitable and well located land to deliver houses, to eradicate informal settlements and stop land invasions.
The report states that in order to address the current housing challenges, the Human Settlements Unit has identified various priority projects which require land acquisition for successful implementation. Over 700 properties are listed in the report.
The proposed project will provide service sites for the public to build their own houses as opposed to waiting for low cost housing to be built for them.
The Real Estate and Human Settlement Units will enter into negotiations with the respective property owners for the acquisition or expropriation of the land parcels which are listed in the report. Once this has been undertaken, the Real Estate and Human Settlement units will proceed to obtain the required Municipal and administrative approvals in respect of each property. The acquisition of the properties will be funded through the Urban Settlements Development Grant Funding.
The tabled report grants authority for the heads of the Real Estate and Human Settlements units to negotiate for the acquisition or expropriation of the properties subject to positive pre-screening and feasibilities.
Subject to the above and the approval of the Bid Adjudication Committee pursuant to successful negotiations, the heads of the Real Estate and Human Settlements units will be authorised to sign all the documents necessary to effect transfer of the properties to the Municipality.
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The report goes on to state that in the event that appropriation is deemed necessary, the head of the Real Estate Unit together with the head of the Human Settlements Unit will be authorised to proceed with the expropriation of the properties, subject to the consent of the MEC for Human Settlements being sought for the expropriation and/or required consent in terms of section 190 of the Local Authorities Ordinance.
The heads of the Real Estate and Human Settlement units will also be authorised to conclude the compensation agreements and sign all necessary documents to effect registration of the properties in favour of the Municipality. The head of legal Services as well as the head of Security Management will be authorised to take all the necessary steps to protect the acquired properties and prevent unlawful invasion.
EThekwini Mayor Zandile Gumede welcomed the report saying it will move the City forward.
“We are a caring and progressive City. I am sure that communities will be happy with this plan,” she said.
Chairperson of the Human Settlements and Infrastructure Committee Councillor Mondli Mthembu said they were moving away from the expectancy of building low cost housing and instead would give people sites on which to build their own houses.
“This report allows the City to deal with the housing issue. A number of people need to be relocated particularly from transit camps where they have lived for years. We cannot rely on the Cornubia development to meet this need alone. Therefore, this system where we provide service sites and allow people will build their own homes will address the backlog,” he said.
He said people required access to land. “If we make land available to people they can build their own homes which I am sure will be grander than a low cost house. This report aims to ensure that we maximise access to land for our people,” concluded Councillor Mthembu.
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