23 August 2007

There is wide consensus in our country that housing remains one of the biggest challenges our country faces. There are still millions that are homeless in this thirteenth year of democratic rule. Mogale City is no exception. As a result, under the visionary leadership of Executive Mayor Koketso Calvin Seerane, the municipality adopted housing as one of its five (5) Key Strategic Focus Areas for the term. This means that along with the other four (4) Key Strategic Focus Areas, housing receives and will continue to receive priority in Mogale City. In partnership with the Gauteng Department of Housing, and in some cases with the private sector (banks), a number of projects have already been identified. The main focus of these projects is the provision of sustainable human settlements. A case in point is the Munsieville Urban Renewal Programme which has the following projects, among others:

• Munsieville Buffer and Sites 3 & 4 - Munsieville Buffer is a strip of land east of Munsieville Proper abutting Strekfontein Road, and facing Dan Pienaarville Township. The project is currently being implemented. The focus of this project is the construction of roads, storm-water drainage, sewerage, water supply and three hundred and thirty eight (338) houses to be completed by the end of June 2008. The total value of the project is R15 321 980.41. Work began at the beginning of June 2007 with the construction of sewer and water reticulation and has reported way 7% progress for all the works (storm water, sewer, water and roads). The project has also created employment for thirteen (13) locals in various capacities.
• Horse-Shoe – This part of the project concerns itself with an old section of Munsieville, with houses older than 60 years. This emanates from community consultation sessions that government (national, provincial and local) have been having with the people of the area. Contrary to what others are always been quick to claim, these Izimbizos produced this part of the project where the community expressed a wish to have the old and dilapidated houses demolished to make way for proper and decent structures that would also help restore the dignity of the people. One of the main areas of focus in this project currently is around the need to secure permission from the National Heritage Council prior to any structural changes made to the units. This is so precisely because the houses are older than 60 years. As we speak an Engineer has been commissioned to assess the units in line with the guidelines of the Heritage Council and advice the municipality accordingly.