People currently residing at the transit camp in Isipingo will soon have a safe and dignified place to call home with the eThekwini Municipality, together with the national and provincial Department of Human Settlements, expected to deliver 360 residential units in the New Year.
The Kanku Road Housing Project, which commenced in March 2020, is expected to be completed in June 2023. The development includes semi-detached double story units and high-density housing units.
Project Manager, Nqobile Hadebe, said the project includes all the necessary infrastructure, with additional sites set aside to accommodate a sewer pump station, detention tank and an electricity sub-station.
All units are planned to have municipal waterborne sewage, water and electricity as well as roads and storm water infrastructure.
“The residents will be moved into the new houses after the sewer pump station is completed in January. The housing project is being rolled out in phases, with some houses nearly complete.
“Once the residents have been moved to their new houses, the transit camp will be completely demolished and the area will have its environment rehabilitated,” Hadebe said.
The Isipingo transit camp was set up as a temporary solution for families living in informal settlements while permanent houses were built.
Meanwhile, KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, together with Human Settlements and Public Works MEC, Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba, and eThekwini Municipality Mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, will today facilitate the relocation of over 1 600 flood victims from community mass care shelters to new decent accommodation.
Since the flood disasters hit the province in April and May this year, the Department of Human Settlements has secured various accommodation, which will be unveiled to ensure that several remaining mass care shelters are permanently closed.
The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government has closed down 71 mass care centres since the flood disasters.