Housing should take priority over parking, resident pleads
Municipal land in the process of being alienated to a church in Parkdene should rather be used for much-needed housing for backyard dwellers, says Quinton Maree (38), a nearby resident.
Maree and his wife Mercia and their two young children live in a small bungalow in a backyard in the suburb.
"There is a huge shortage of housing, so surely it is a bigger priority than creating a huge parking space? We have been on the housing waiting list for about 15 years and here we are - still in someone else's backyard," complains Maree to the newspaper. The couple registered on the George Municipality's housing list in 2004.
According to municipal communications officer Debra Sauer, the registration cut-off date for beneficiaries of the last housing project, the Rosedale temporary relocation assistance project, was April 2004 and the Marees were registered on the waiting list only in November 2004. "Unfortunately, as there have been no other projects, beneficiaries with later application dates have not been assisted," she says.
Sauer says Council resolved on 31 May this year that erven 21497 and 21498, that Maree feels can be used for housing, be sold to Jabez Ministries following the outcome of a public participation process. The proposed sale of these properties was advertised for appeals and comments in the George Herald on 21 June. Four appeals were received by the closing date, 20 July, and a report in this regard will be submitted to the human settlements committee in August for consideration of the appeals.
Pastor Niklaas Manevil, the leader of Jabez Church, says he does not want to comment in the public domain, but would rather respond directly to the municipality regarding the appeals.