Jason Felix
CITY plans to install toilets and electricity in back-yard dwellings on council-owned properties in Parkwood have been welcomed by residents as a “warm comfort in winter”.
In the first phase of the R1.2 million Parkwood Back-yarders Project, 161 homes are to given flush toilets, a sewerage system connection, a water connection, wash basins and standpipes.
The mayoral committee member for human settlements, Siyabulela Mamkeli, said work would be completed by the end of this year.
“In the Parkwood area in particular, one of the challenges experienced is the density of structures in the back-yards which limits the space in which the city is able to install these services,” said Mamkeli.
“The success of this programme is heavily dependent on the co-operation of residents and the support of all parties.”
The city’s back-yarder project is also to be launched in Mitchells Plain, Scottsdene in Kraaifontien, Ocean View, Lotus River, Grassy Park, Heideveld, Manenberg, Bonteheuwel, Valhalla Park, Atlantis and Uitsig.
The project is under way in Hanover Park, where it will benefit 810 back-yard dwellers. Work began in January last year and is expected to be completed by December.
Work in Gugulethu is to begin next month and close to R2.5m has been budgeted for the first phase.
Sally Joseph, 55, of Parkwood, near Grassy Park, said that having a toilet and electricity would make her less dependent on her landlord’s facilities.
“If at night I need to go to the toilet I would not have to bother the landlord to use the toilet.
“This is a good plan.
“It is a great comfort in this cold winter and would make life so much easier.
“In winter it’s a battle not to have your proper water and electricity.”
Fellow back-yarder Ashley Clarence, 33, said: “This is nice for us. I don’t have a toilet in my shack and depend on my landlord for electricity.
“There are times when they don’t have money for electricity and expect me to buy them electricity. I have to buy it because I also need it.”
Clarence, who has been living in the back-yard shack since last year, said paying for a shack was costly “and a waste”.
“This place will never be mine. I would want a house and pay it off to own it one day. But this place I will never own. The new electricity and water connection is at least a comfort.”
Mamkeli said the electrical connections and prepaid meters would be installed in a maximum of three back-yard structures to each city-owned property.
“The reinforcement of the medium voltage network would be required to deal with the additional back-yarder load.
“The city’s electricity services department is appointing consultants to undertake the design and construction of the electricity backbone needed for these electricity services.”
The city has budgeted R20m this financial year for the programme.
The programme has been named a World Design Capital 2014 project.