Breidbach RDP deal finally signed after years of campaigning

THE department of human settlements will acquire land from Buffalo City Metro on which to build houses for some people squatting in informal settlements in Breidbach.

This was approved in a BCM council meeting last week.

Residents of Breidbach, through the 1400-member Breidbach Homeseekers Association, have for years been campaigning over their need for housing, often blockading the N2 between East London and King William’s Town to show their discontent.

The metro has approved the release of 163 sites following a petition by the association handed to council speaker Alfred Mtsi a year ago.

“Erven 412 to 414 were identified as potential sites to be acquired and used for construction of the houses for Breidbach Homeseekers.

“The investigation revealed the existence of 163 sites which are available, serviced and vacant,” a report to council said last week.

The market value of the sites, as determined by the BCM finance directorate, is R24 478 000.

The report further stated that any delay in releasing the sites would create further issues from the disgruntled community members.

“There were engagements with the community and discussions at top management [level] on 12 September 2017. An in loco inspection was conducted by directorate of spatial planning and development representatives,” the report stated.

Council was informed that the 163 vacant sites could be further subdivided and the general plan amended to create additional sites to accommodate more people.

The provincial department of human settlements is to be responsible for transfer costs and any incidental costs.

The Daily Dispatch reported last month that human settlements MEC Helen Sauls-August said BCM would donate the land.

She said her department would start the planning processes for gap market beneficiaries once they received title deeds from BCM.

The gap market refers to people who earn more than R3 500 and less than R15 000.

In September last year, cars were pelted and police fired rubber bullets to disperse protesters who demanded RDP houses be built for them.

Breidbach residents have called on Sauls-August to scrap the existing beneficiary list and compile a new one. They claim there are people on the list who are not supposed to be there as they do not qualify for RDP houses. However, Sauls-August has said all those on the master list did qualify for housing. —