Developments on the Maroela South Housing Project in Kraaifontein have been placed on hold after protesters set alight pipes to be used for civil engineering services.
A statement from Mayco member for transport and urban development, Brett Herron, said contractors could not continue with on-site work for nearly three weeks following the protests in the Kraaifontein community.
The Maroela housing project, will see the development of 395 state-subsidised Breaking New Ground (BNG) houses for those qualifying beneficiaries on the City of Cape Town’s housing waiting list and 175 GAP houses for people who earn between R3 500 to
R15 000 per month.
“The qualifying beneficiaries of this housing project will suffer the most because the longer the delays, the longer they will have to wait to move into their homes,” Mr Herron said.
He said residents living in the Wallacedene informal settlement are demanding that the Maroela project benefit those living in the informal settlement, but said it would contravene the City’s Housing Allocation Policy.
“Residents who qualify and have been waiting the longest
are offered opportunities first. Should any resident feel they have been excluded, they can use available channels, such as their sub-councils, to raise their concerns in a law-abiding manner that does not place others at risk or infringe on the rights of others,” he said.
Mr Herron encouraged the community to contact SAPS if they have any information regarding the incident.
“In the meantime, we want to encourage our residents who have welcomed these projects to remain patient while the City, with its contractors and other parties, determine a way forward,” he said.