Knysna residents raise concerns during imbizo
“Our house is on the verge of falling down,” were the heartbreaking words of a Knysna resident yesterday.
Simpiwe Jim was one of many concerned residents who raised their concerns at an imbizo hosted by the Knysna municipality.
Human settlements minister Mmamoloko Kubayi and deputy minister Pam Tshwete took a tour of the problematic areas in the Garden Route district municipality.
The aim of the tour was to assess progress made on sustainable housing.
Kubayi also held a meeting with community members in Concordia, an informal settlement in Knysna.
Residents were then given the platform to ask the minister questions about their living conditions. The community did not hold back and described the dire living conditions they endured, accusing her of coming through for them only when it was time to campaign.
Jim, 38, who lives in an RDP house in Rhobololo, asked the minister to look into the density of the land where these homes had been built and said his house was about to collapse.
“The retaining wall that protected my house has collapsed [during recent heavy rain].
“Last week, we did inform our councillor and the municipality but they have not done anything to assist,” he said.
“They are waiting for this house to collapse and for us to die in it before they assist.”
Kubayi vowed to look into the issue and to ensure the land was serviced.
She promised to have a delegation of people writing down residents’ complaints and to see to it that they were all looked into.
Afterwards, they handed title deeds to Knysna community members.
The community members also wanted feedback on when the minister would build houses for the residents who stayed on land belonging to Sanral which had since been handed over to the municipality.
Before visiting Concordia,
Kubayi went on a tour of Plettenberg Bay and visited a couple who live in a deteriorating shack.
She then went to the Kwanokuthula hall and handed over title deeds to Qolweni housing beneficiaries.
“As you receive these title deeds please ensure that you do not hand them over to loan sharks and end up losing your livelihood,” she said.
She urged the residents not to sell their houses to foreigners and create confusion among people that the department had provided houses to foreigners.
About 20 community members received their title deeds in Plettenberg Bay. The visit concluded with a site visit in George and to the temporary residential units that were built for the Wolwedans housing project in Mossel Bay.