Mega infrastructure projects in South Africa have been launched in the Municipality of Kouga in Jeffreys Bay aimed at boosting its plans to put up more than 2000 Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) houses.
Initially the municipality used sewage tanks for sanitation, but following the introduction of the new Jeffreys Bay sewerage infrastructure that was unveiled recently, these will be done away with.
On Friday, the municipality launched the US$7.3 million bulk infrastructure projects in Patensie and Hankey where the Eastern Cape Department of Human Settlements is set to commence building RDP houses.
Yesterday, the municipality unveiled the initial phase of the upgraded sewer system in Wavecrest in Jeffreys Bay as part of Mega infrastructure projects in South Africa.
Sidney Fadi, the Kouga municipal manager said the bulk infrastructure projects indicated that now the municipality would now be in a position to start addressing the 14000 housing units shortage which dated back to 2009.
“The department was not able to build houses in Kouga because we did not have serviced sites,” Fadi said.
“They [provincial Department of Human Settlements] gave us R100-million in funding to assist us with installing bulk infrastructure. People will now get houses.”
The upgrade and rehabilitation of the sewer system cost about US$1.5 million in the last financial year.
An additional US$470,000 will be spent in the current financial year for the project’s second phase.
Fadi added that they had already commenced with the second part as they wanted to do away with septic tanks.
Nearly 1000 households in the area use septic tanks for sanitation purposes.
“The first phase of the project has been completed and around 300 houses will now be connected,” Fadi said.
“Wavecrest residents have been using septic tanks for many years.
“Now we are trying to address that issue and phase out the system.”
He said the sewer upgrade project was funded by the Department of Water and Sanitation and the municipality.
The mega infrastructure projects in South Africa are part of preparations ahead of the construction of major houses in the Municipality of Kouga in Jeffreys Bay.
