If all goes as planned, construction of Phase 4 of mega housing construction project in South Africa in the City of Cape Town at a total cost of US$3.2 million will commence by September 2016.Meanwhile the civil service construction tender process for the project is under way.
The initial stage of the Masiphumelele Phase 4 housing project, meant for qualifying applicants residing in Masiphumelele backyards and the informal settlement which is located in the wetland, will see the construction of 227 fully serviced sites on which subsidised units will be constructed at a later stage. Phase 2 of the project, comprising of 96 fully serviced sites and subsidised houses, will be undertaken at a later stage.
A total of US$3.2 million has been set aside for the first and second phases and if all goes as planned, the civil services for stage one will be built in the period between September 2016 and June 2017, while the phase one houses will be constructed between July 2017 and June 2018.
Construction on phase two will commence after the temporary relocation area (TRA) situated directly north of the Fish Eagle Park Industrial Area is decommissioned. This is not yet determined
According to the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Benedicta van Minnen, they have employed all efforts to address the acute housing currently experienced in Masiphumelele and other area in the metro that equally have a shortage of houses. In areas where the residents are well organized along political and civic lines like Masiphumelele, the city is highly depending on that cooperation in implementing the project.
He adds that the project has delayed due to lack of assistance at the local level because of various reasons. He applied to members of the community to be supportive and assistance in preventing the land earmarked for the project from being taken over by land grabbers.
