RESIDENTS of Greenwood Park voiced their anger at City officials at a public meeting last week over plans to upgrade an informal settlement on Havelock Road.
Several members from the City’s Human Settlements Department were prevented from speaking at the meeting as residents said they were not consulted about plans by the City.
The City intend on erecting a 38 double-storey structures or Lightweight, Improved, Fire-safe and Timber-frame (LIFT) houses within the settlement to create spaces to administer additional services including footpaths, mini-communal ablutions and wash facilities.
Related story: Greenwood Park/Redhill residents air frustrations at public meeting
Local resident Andre Akkers said residents were not consulted about the upgrade and what it entailed.
“At the meeting we were told that the City consulted residents of the informal settlement and the PR councillor but not the ratepayers. They’re blindsiding the residents. We were told there were documents at the Firwood Road Library explaining the process but they were merely brochures and not actual plans informing the residents who will be affected. The brochure wasn’t dated. We would like to know what works are planned? What time frames are in place? What approvals they have? None of the direct residents (living on Havelock Road) affected have been given notice in writing or via registered post informing them of construction, residents haven’t been given an opportunity to object,” Akkers said.
Gary Herron who has lived in the Greenwood Park area for the last 27 years was at pains to point out that their fight was not with the residents of the Havelock Road Informal Settlement.
“I work closely with the community and know many of the residents living in the informal settlement. We are not the enemy, the people of Havelock have been failed by council. What we want is for them to have decent housing, not what the City has proposed. From what we’ve read these plans will devalue our homes which we’ve invested in,” Herron said.
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