Tshwane metro asks for patience in Plastic View housing saga

Fed-up ratepayers, near Plastic View and Cemetery View in the Tshwane metro, have been reassured that the planned social housing development in Pretorius Park will happen.

The project is six years in the making, with Moreleta Park, Woodhill, Woodlands and Mooikloof residents crying foul over the metro’s implementation of a court order to move the informal settlement from their doorstep, Pretoria Rekord reports.

Social housing is planned for construction near Woodlands Mall, which will house a select number of South African citizens living in the two informal settlements.

There are around 800 people living in Plastic View alone. The Plastic View saga began in March 2006, when metro officials, police and a community policing forum allegedly joined an illegal operation to burn down shacks in the settlement, and destroy personal property.

Dwellers litigated, and the Supreme Court of Appeal found the metro had lied under oath and that the “operation” was reminiscent of the brutality of the apartheid area.

Since 2009, the High Court in Pretoria has made a series of orders instigated by homeowner associations to relocate dwellers.

ALSO READ: Cemetery View residents begin rebuilding after fire decimates 400 shacks

Strict laws before construction

Strategic adviser to the Tshwane MMC for Human Settlements, Esme Masuku, said public participation had to be held as traffic and businesses would be affected by the construction.

The project was still in the planning stages, but as much as some residents want dwellers relocated, there are objections to the development.

“The metro does have a plan for social housing in the area to house members of Plastic View and Cemetery View,” Masuku said.

A response to the objection is expected in two weeks, with the metro planning to receive a council resolution on the social housing project.

An environmental impact assessment still needs to be completed, as well as lobbying the mayoral committee, council and quantity surveyors.

There is also no current budget for the construction, at least until rigorous laws are abided by. Once assessments have been made, Masuku said the metro would approach the Social Housing Regulatory Authority for funding.

“We need to get our ducks in a row before we approach this authority.”

The metro has requested patience from ratepayers while construction plans are streamlined and approved.

Remove illegal immigrants

Masuku said the metro was also aware of a social media petition about ratepayer concerns regarding crime and health as a result of the two informal settlements.

“We know the ratepayers are unhappy and we are dealing with moving the settlement dwellers in a constitutional manner.”

She said the Department of Home Affairs was being consulted to deport illegal immigrants living in the two informal settlements.

“We do not have jurisdiction to deport illegal immigrants. Our department can only hold the department accountable for action in this process.

A petition was also started on Monday, by Moreleta Park Ward 91 and 47 residents, to remove immigrants and enforce a court order.

Garnering almost 2 000 signatures already, the petition states that residents endure noise pollution, “constantly live without power due to cable theft”, are experiencing “excess levels of crime”, and have to contend with illegal dumping in a nearby veld and the burning of hazardous pollutants.

Residents are demanding that Tshwane mayor Randall Williams authorise raids to deport illegal immigrants.

ALSO READ: ‘Sodom and Gomorrah’ – Plastic View residents clash with local community over crime

“We assure that only South Africans will be placed in the social housing as they are eligible according to criteria,” Masuku said.

The development plan also acts as a solution to the City’s backlog, which in June stood at 210 000.

Providing low-cost housing was also a priority for the metro, Masuku said, but demands from other communities in the area had consider that Plastic and Cemetery View already have land allocated to them.  

NOW READ: PICS: Tshwane plans to move Plastic View’s undocumented foreign nationals

Edited by Nica Richards.

This article first appeared on Caxton publication Pretoria Rekord, by Reitumetse Mahope. Read the original article here.