Construction at Payneville Extension Three is underway
Construction on roads and storm-water infrastructure is currently underway on site in Payneville Extension Three development.
After years of uncertainty about the fate of the piece of land on the corner of Welgedacht and Grootvaly roads, development is now underway.
This comes after the proposed Payneville toilet project of 2010 was abandoned last year. A total of 1 115 toilets were meant to have been completed for residents of Payneville Extension Three.
The original plan was for the metro to construct toilets, and then move the residents from Gugulethu Everest; however, these residents would still be living in shacks.
Construction on these toilets began in 2010 but, despite 1 050 toilet cubicles being completed, they were never utilised.
The toilets became a target for thieves who not only stole the doors, window frames, roofing and bricks but demolished the toilets as well.
This led to the community taking the council to court after they opposed the development.
The court ruled against council and the development was halted.
“We were told there has been a hold up by the MMC for human settlements, who gave the metro the go-ahead to remove the toilets and build new low-cost houses for the residents of Gugulethu Everest informal settlements,” says Ward 75 councillor Dean Stone.
The metro allocated funds during the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 financial years to complete the aforesaid development and the construction of roads and storm-water infrastructure. The latter is currently underway.
The next phase (Phase Two) will see the building of RDP houses which will be allocated to beneficiaries currently residing in Gugulethu Everest.
Thabo Matseba, the site construction manager working for Mologadi A Nape Construction, says since Phase One started in January major progress has been made.
“We have done quite a lot on-site with everything going well in preparation for Phase Two,” says Matsheba.
Phase One includes completion of repairs to the existing water and sanitation infrastructure as well as the construction of roads and storm-water drains.
The construction period for Phase One started in January and was expected to be completed at the end of October but has been extended to the end of November.
“However, we are hoping to finish before the end of November because we are on track as per schedule,” says Matsheba.
Matsheba says Phase Two will include the construction of the subsidised houses and is projected to be completed during the 2018/2019 financial year.
