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THURSDAY 24 July 2014 | 0021 910 6500 | Fax: 021 910 6501/06 | Email: post@peoplespost.co.za | Website: www.peoplespost.co.za | Mobisite: ppost.mobi
FLAMINGO CRESCENT: RESIDENTS ECSTATIC OVER REBLOCKING REWARDS
Make yourself at home SAMANTHA LEE @Samantha_Lee121
W
hile shackdwellers living at Flamingo Crescent informal settlement celebrate over their more dignified homes, Lansdowne property owners are up in arms. The City of Cape Town says the shackland is here to stay, encouraging communities to “become integrated”. The reblocking of the settlement, established as a temporary solution to vagrancy a decade ago, has reached the halfway mark. New roads, electricity and sanitation is also on the cards. The settlement was created by council on public open space in 2005 to accommodate 75 shacks. Today the erven houses 120 families. The reblocking process is a partnership between council, the Community Organisation Resource Centre and the Informal Settlement Network. Resource centre coordinator Melanie Manuel says the project has been in the pipeline for the past two years. “It was a long process as we had to get people accustomed to the idea of change. The community NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Henry Nefdt and Peter Joseph have been residents of Flamingo Crescent informal settle has done everything themselves, ment since it was originally constructed in 2005. PHOTO: SAMANTHA LEE but we support them physically ter. Roads have also been designed dampened progress. mented,” he says. and financially.” Shackdwellers in the settlement Each resident is required to con- in a way that will minimise floodThe reblocking project started tribute 20% of production costs ing in the area and with the re- say they couldn’t be happier to put two months ago. A total of 104 structures varying with the collaborators providing blocking we were able to eliminate up with the temporary inconvendensity and many fire risks,” ience. the balance. in size will be built. Henry Nefdt says he can’t wait to “The smallest structure is 10m² Manuel says. Mayoral Committee member for The first installation will take move in. “I was promised a house Human Settlements Siyabulela and costs R3000 to build so we ask Mamkeli says the initiative is “for the residents to pay R720. The larg- place as soon as the structures and I’m very happy to be able to call a place my home. They moved the community, done by the com- est is a 20m², so the resident is have been completed. The timeline for the completion me in here in 2005 because I stayed asked to contribute R1050 of the munity”. “The [residents] have committed R6000 it costs to build,” Manuel ex- of the project has been set for Sep- under a bridge in Claremont. I’m a pensioner and it’s just myself, my tember. to the contribution of cost towards plains. With each structure taking a day wife and our three dogs. Our home The current plan also makes prothe top structures, which are provided by the Informal Settlement vision for a creche, playground, to be built, residents relocate with- will be ready soon,” Nefdt boasts. Flamingo Crescent Informal SetNetwork and Community Organi- sewerage and formal flush toilets. in the settlement with family and “We are most happy that each friends to make provision for the tlement Committee member Lenrisation Resource Centre. Without ka Dekoker says the change is long these commitments from a commu- structure will have its own flush- demolition process. But Manuel says the rains have overdue. nity, reblocking cannot be imple- ing toilet and tap with running wa-
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“We have been living here since 2005 and there was a lack of services. Now, with us being involved, we have an opportunity to make things better for everyone and take their feelings and needs into consideration as well,” she says. But Lansdowne residents are less optimistic. Ebrahim Hull, secretary of the Lansdowne Civic Association, says they receive complaints from residents daily. “We are happy about the developments in the settlement, but homeowners are still concerned about crime and are blaming the Flamingo Crescent residents for break-ins and thefts,” he says. But a perturbed Dekoker disagrees. “We see on many occasions how criminals run through our area and people believe it is our people,” she says. Mamkeli says it is important for communities to become integrated and accept the Flamingo residents into the community. “A multi-pronged effort is needed, consisting of various law enforcement bodies, government departments as well as the public and residents of the informal settlement to work together in coming up with possible solutions so that progress can be made to meet the needs of all as best as possible,” he says. Flamingo Crescent residents say segregation in Lansdowne is still rife and no local organisations were willing to get involved in the project. But Hull says there was no consultation with homeowners on the future of the settlement and how they felt about the shackland becoming permanent. Manuel says in order to solve the problem, people’s mindsets need to change. V Is the reblocking of Flamingo informal settlement overdue? Share your views. Starting with the word “Post”, SMS your opinion to 32516. SMSes cost R1.
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