Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
‘Imizamo Yethu needs homes, not pretty public spaces’
UPGRADES to Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay were announced to great fanfare this week, but not all residents of the informal area are happy with the changes.
City authorities this week unveiled plans for the Hout Bay Gateway Precinct Project, which will see the upgrade of the pedestrian area along Hout Bay’s Main Road and Victoria/NR Mandela Roads, aimed at safer walkways for residents accessing schools, taxis, the clinic and the MyCiTi bus station.
But community leader Man- o- man Mazele was unimpressed, saying the city should prioritise housing ahead of beautifying the main road, “which makes no difference to the people in the community”.
The improvements, Mazele said, “mean nothing to the 538 homeless people who lost their houses last week during the fire”.
Residents would rather have seen an improvement in their open sewage system, or of the roads they used daily. But creating spaces that “look good to the eye” added no real value.
Mazele said they had been engaging the city on these issues and hoped their pleas would not be ignored.
“The last time we had road improvements inside Imizamo Yethu was in 1991, so we need major upgrades within the community,” he said.
Johan van der Merwe, mayoral committee member for energy, environmental and spatial planning, said in a statement the upgrading of the intersection was part of a series of interventions in the area, which included the construction of the MyCiTi bus station and the upgrading of the sports complex.
Further improvements would include paving walkways and larger public spaces, creating retaining walls to stabilise soil embankments, providing low seating walls, lighting and playground equipment, along with planting of trees.
“Our greatest motivation for this project was to create a quality public space area for the community and the upgrade of the Imizamo Yethu entrance provided us with the ideal opportunity to do just that.”
The city had also appointed a mosaic artist to work with local artists from Imizamo Yethu to create mosaic art on some of the walls being constructed as part of the project.
Van der Merwe said “involving the artists from the local community in this creative-expression element of the project has worked really well”.
The city was happy to support artists with an opportunity “to express their unique talents in an enduring quality public space that reflects the strength and potential of the community”.
Van der Merwe said he hoped the project would be a source of pride for the community.
“It is our deep desire for the community to take ownership of the upgraded public space.”
Resident Kenny Tokwe said he welcomed the the project and upgrades.
“Even though we live in a poor community, poverty should not be displayed at the entrance. We also deserve beautiful things.”
But the city needed to also concentrate efforts on matters such as roads inside the community, and housing.
“There are problems with ambulances and fire trucks accessing the community because of the roads. The area is in desperate need of road development,” he said.
viwe.ndongeni@inl.co.za