KRAAIFONTEIN
Woensdag, 6 Maart 2013 | Tel: 021 910 6500 | epos: nuus@tygerburger.co.za | www.tygerburger.co.za
HOUSING LIST: A ‘SHAMBLES’
Still holding out hope DESIREÉ RORKE On the outskirts of Kraaifontein, a stone’s throw away from the leafy suburbs of Brackenfell, thousands of people live huddled together in hovels no bigger than a standard bathroom. This Temporary Relocation Area (TRA) in Wallacedene is currently housing 1 200 families all waiting for houses, currently under construction in different phases. However, of the 10 000 houses planned almost 15 years ago, 6 000 must still be built and for the majority of these people the hopes of ever owning a home, are becoming dimmer by the day. Among these families they share about 200 toilets divided in nine blocks with two taps at each block. They currently have no street lights and the only available electricity is illegally connected from the surrounding infrastructure of the other phases. Meanwhile, a critical progress report, which includes the 2008 corruption charges against previous contractors, remains outstanding. This report is hoped to cast light on the exact progress of the project, including the situation relating to supply and demand in the area. Although many of these families are listed on the Cape Town housing list, which now contains 350 000 names, hundreds more – many of whom moved to Cape Town for jobs – are not. Yet, the influx from the Eastern Cape continues as the City of Cape Town struggles with the housing challenge.
New life Noncendo Ndyosi and Thobiso Soiphenou, like so many others, moved from Umtata in 2007 to find work and start a new life in Cape Town. Their hopes however were very quickly dashed and although they found shelter in
Children of all ages, roam around the dusty streets looking after younger siblings. You can get your hair cut and clothing repairs done in one place, though.
the TRA at Wallacedene, they are still unemployed and are selling sweets from a trolley “tuck shop” to make a living. “We are not sure if we will ever get a house, or if we can put our names on a housing list anywhere. So we just wait and see what happens and send whatever money we get back to our families in Umtata,” they told TygerBurger. Nobonile Keswa is another resident who hails from the Eastern Cape. She has lived in the Wallacedene TRA for 10 years now, and is desperate to improve her living conditions. “We don’t want to live here, but where do
we go? We have no electricity and the only running water is at the taps outside the mobile toilets. Life is hard here, it’s dirty and dark and when it rains we are knee-deep in water,” she says.
The list Although Keswa forms part of the new TRA committee which was elected last year, and is working closely with the city to improve conditions, she is acutely aware of the fact that she might not get a house in the foreseeable future. “Nobody who lives here can presume that their names is on a housing list,” she said
in an attempt to make sense of the housing lists, which appears to be in shambles. When this housing crisis came under discussion at a recent subcouncil meeting, chairman Grant Twigg, requested urgent intervention and feedback from the executive mayor. According to him a detailed progress report, as mentioned above, is needed to successfully monitor the project. This was six weeks ago, and TygerBurger this week learned that, although the mayor’s office has received the request, they cannot offer comment yet as the report has still not been finalised. V To page 2.