Informal settlement gets roads and street lights
Risk of future fires lessened in project
Concrete roads and neat pavements have replaced rivulets of sewage 18 months after a massive fire and political conflict brought the township of Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay, Cape Town to its knees.
The March 2017 fire which gutted Dontse Yakhe informal settlement‚ part of Imizamo Yethu‚ left 15 000 people homeless. The City of Cape Town’s plans to rebuild and formalise‚ or “super block”‚ the settlement divided residents and became the catalyst for political violence which left a person dead and little hope for a peaceful outcome.
But on Tuesday the mayoral committee member for transport and urban development‚ Brett Herron‚ visited the area where a project which seemed a daunting task nine months ago was reaching its conclusion with the completion of 14 roads.
Hundreds of residents whose homes encroached on the roadway had to be consulted‚ and community leader Man Oman said that without the consent of every individual affected not a metre of road could have been laid.
“It’s very difficult because you have to get everyone on board before you can go ahead with any development.”
He was referring to a political fight which saw several community leaders’ houses torched and a 19-year-old killed in violent clashes between rival factions of the ANC-aligned SA National Civic Organisation.
Residents against the super blocking‚ aimed at trying to restructure the informal settlement so services could be installed and to lessen the risk of future fires‚ clashed with leaders in favour of the council plan.
Both sides accused each other of ulterior motives.
Contract engineer Alexi Maravelias said 50 people from the community were employed and the project had injected R1.2-million directly into the local economy.
It started as a pilot project for a few roads to be built but soon incorporated the upgrading of water pipes‚ storm water drains and the installation of street lights.
Maravelias said he hoped the project would be expanded.