Belhar houses to break new ground
THE City of Cape Town’s transport and urban development authority has started construction of 340 Breaking New Ground (BNG) housing units at a site on the corner of Edison Drive and Herschel Way in Belhar, the City said.
The Belhar-Pentech BNG housing project was valued at R57 million, excluding VAT, and would take about 24 months to complete, the City said .
Mayoral committee member for transport and urban development, Brett Herron, and several other councillors visited the site on Friday and assisted in the buildin as part of their 67-minute Mandela Day initiative.
“When Tata became the president of South Africa he promised that more than a million houses would be built for the poorer people of our country. South Africa is currently facing a massive housing backlog and the 340 units is a tip on the iceberg. However, these housing units together with the many others planned throughout the city, will see us working towards Tata’s dream, one house at a time,” Herron said.
The project entailed building semi-detached and free-standing single-storey houses, as well as the installation of electrical infrastructure, street lighting and pavements.
“Tata was determined to fight for the dignity of our people. This is one way we as the City honour his legacy: by restoring dignity to the people of Cape Town, some of whom have been dreaming of becoming homeowners for most of their lives,” Herron said.
The development is close to the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, a number of schools and a railway station. There were also open spaces to be landscaped to create spaces where children could play and residents could socialise, the statement said. – African News Agency (ANA)