CAPE TOWN - Western Cape Human Settlements MEC Tertius Simmers said on Monday he has met with local residents who are to benefit from the Forest Village Housing Project in Eerste River, near Cape Town, to discuss various issues, including the waiting list.
The wards comprises of communities such as Forest Village, Eerste River, Eerste River South, Electric City, Faure, Dreamworld, Driftsands, Kleinvlei, Rosedale, Forest Heights, Hillcrest Heights, Tuscany Glen, Malibu Village, The Conifers, Fairdale, Fountain Village and Mfuleni.
Beneficiaries from Ward 108, consisting of communities such as Fairdale, Fountain Village and Mfuleni also elected their four-member Project Steering Committee (PSC), while Wards 16 and 17, each needed two additional members, and duly elected theirs to their PSC.
“These engagements were vital as I could not allow the continued misinformation about housing handovers to make the rounds. I commend the beneficiaries for their participation, indulgence and patience,” Simmers said.
“Now that they are properly organised, I call on the beneficiaries to ensure that there are no further attempts to illegally occupy any of our units and that the relevant platforms are used to constructively address issues. Furthermore that beneficiaries would not allow so-called community leaders to influence them to act in an irresponsible and destructive manner,” he added.
Forest Village is one of the Department’s Catalytic Projects, which commenced in January 2016 and has a budget allocation of R1,1 billion. This mixed-use development consists of various types of units to cater for beneficiaries of different income levels and specific needs such as Military Veterans, Breaking New Ground (BNG) and Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme (FLISP) units, according to Simmers’ office.
Upon completion in December 2020, it is expected to yield more than 4,500 housing opportunities for the people of the Western Cape, with more than 1,700 of those being from the local community.
“We remain committed to accelerating human settlement delivery, while promoting social inclusion through the development of integrated, resilient and sustainable human settlements in an open society,” said Simmers.