Ezasegagasini Page 5 - eThekwini Municipality

NEWS and FEATURES
23 October 2009
Page 5
A home for all
Ken Mchunu
reports on the
progress of
housing projects
across eThekwini
F
UNDING
constraints and
town planning
hiccups have not
deterred the
eThekwini Municipality from
its mission of speeding up
housing delivery, said
Councillor Nigel Gumede,
Chairman of the City’s
Housing Committee.
He said the Municipality
remained a leader in the field
of housing the poor,
upgrading rental stock,
refurbishing existing housing
and for its slums clearance
programme.
For the past several years,
eThekwini has built more
than 16 000 low-income
houses a year – the figure
peaked at 18 000 in 2007.
Gumede said the aim was
to double the figure to
32 000, but this would
require, “prompt funding
and fewer town planning
hiccups”.
Gumede said several
projects were under way,
including Cornubia.
He described Cornubia as
the biggest project yet, which
would get rid of, “more than
half, if not three-quarters, of
informal settlements in
eThekwini”.
Another project is the
R68-million Philani Valley
Housing Project in Ward 86,
south of Durban.
The project promises to
yield 427 low-cost units for
many Umlazi Y-section
residents.
Project Manager in the
City’s southern region,
Lawrence Pato, said once
houses were built, priority
would be given to informal
settlers in Umlazi, “as well as
victims of disasters”.
Construction began in
February and was scheduled
for completion by next April.
Meanwhile, the R110million Kingsburgh West
housing project promises to
Che Guevara Road
Formerly Moore Road
ERNESTO “Che” Guevara
was born on 14 May, 1928 in
the city of Rosario,
Argentina, the eldest of four
children.
The nickname “Che”,
meaning friend or mate in
South America, was given to
him by his peers while he
was studying medicine at the
University of Buenos Aires.
Guevara completed his
studies in 1953 and began
work as a doctor.
He became involved in
politics at a time when Cuba
was ruled by the dictator,
Gen Fulgencio Batista.
Guevara joined forces with
Cuban rebel Fidel Castro and
80 other men and women to
overthrow Batista.
Guevara’s group, the July
26, Movement, had planned
to set up base in the Sierra
Maestra Mountains, in Cuba,
Call for
regular
eye tests
NONDU NGCONGO and
NTUTHUKO ZIKHALI
THE Municipality has appealed to citizen to have their eyes
tested regularly, pointing out
that blindness and other eye
diseases can often be prevented if caught early.
The call was made at a
recent World Sight Day event,
hosted outside the City Hall by
the Municipality’s Community Participation and Action
Support Unit and the International Centre for Eye Care
Education.
Unit Head Ntokozo Chonco
said, “People must get their
eyes tested regularly – at least
once a year – to avoid unnecessary blindness.”
The World Health Organisation estimates that about
314 million people worldwide
are visually impaired because
of eye diseases or uncorrected
refractive errors, of whom 45
million are blind.
Prof Kovin Naidoo, Director
Global Programmes with the
International Centre for Eye
Care Education, said of the 45
CEMENTING THE DREAM: Work forges ahead at a housing project in Merewent, in south Durban, one of dozens million people who are blind,
now under way in eThekwini
Picture: JESSIE SINGH three-quarters of them could
have avoided it if they had
access to information.
“It is unfortunate to learn
that only seven of the 53
create 1 400 new
houses,” said Khanyile. Other
This development includes
target of 6 000 houses each
African countries are running
homeowners at Ilovu, in the
budgets for this project
housing and agricultural
financial year.
optometric training prosouth.
include R20-million for bulk
projects and was mainly a
He said all regions had
grammes,” said Naidoo.
Of the 1 400 houses, 130
sewers and the R130-million
greenfield project, although
done, “fairly well to reach
People, particularly the eldwould be bondable, with the
for bus routes and roads.
there were some existing
their targets, given the
erly, queued for eye tests at the
balance in the low-cost
Khanyile said, “The
structures, said Khanyile.
circumstances”.
event. Some were given
category.
project’s detailed planning
Construction will start in
Mayor Obed Mlaba said
glasses, others were refereed
“These will form a buffer
process is complete. We are
February next year and is
the aim was to meet the
between RDP and upmarket
awaiting the approval of the
scheduled for completion in
City’s target of eradicating all to institutions for treatment.
Victoria Madlala, a 79-yearhouses of Ilovu in wards 97
June 2011.
designs and town planning
slums by 2014 and
old Umlazi granny, said she
and 98,” said Pato.
A project underway in
layout.”
promoting economic
was grateful for the testing.
He said building had
Chatsworth, opposite the
She said the procurement
activity.
She was given a referral and
begun in January and would
Burlington railway station, is
process would begin next
Gumede said the illegal
hoped to soon be receiving
be complete next September. month and run until January. the R56-million Burlington
selling of old shacks to
treatment.
Another low-cost housing
Greenfields project.
“It is anticipated that the
foreign nationals by
Madlala said she had long
project, this time in the
Project Manager in the
contractor will be on site by
beneficiaries of new housing
suffered eye problem and
north, Etafuleni Phase 1,
southern region, Edwin
mid-February 2010,” said
projects made it, “virtually
aims to eradicate slums in
Dlamini, said the project
Khanyile.
impossible for the City to get sometimes missed the bus
because she couldn’t see it
Inanda.
She said families within the would provide 523 houses of
rid of informal settlements.
coming. “It is satisfying to see
Project Manager in the
30-square-metres each.
project boundaries would be
“This vicious cycle means
the Municipality taking good
northern region, Beryl
allocated houses once
Beneficiaries will include
there will always be people
care of its people,” she said.
Khanyile, said the possibility
construction was complete,
old Burlington landowners
living in shacks,” he said.
Councillor Nomvuzo Shabaof building mid-income flats
with other “special cases”
now living in KwaNdengezi,
He said the Municipality’s
lala, Chairman of the Counin this region was being
also considered.
who were displaced by the
Executive Committee was
cil’s Health and Safety Comexplored.
The R105-million Oakford
Group Areas Act.
negotiating the release of
mittee, thanked the Inter“The overall budget for the
Priory Housing
Burlington station
other tracts of privately
project is R275-million, of
Development, in Verulam, in
residents will also benefit
owned land, on which more national Centre for Eye Care
Education for its efforts.
which R125-million will cater the north of eThekwini,
from this low-cost to midhousing projects would be
[email protected]
for internal services and
promises 980 houses for
income project.
undertaken.
[email protected]
[email protected]
R150-million for the actual
low-income earners.
Pato said each region had a
Revolutionary road
As part of a series on the heroes honoured in the
city’s new street and building names, Swazi Dlamini
profiles Che Guevara (right)
but were attacked on their
way by government troops.
By the time they reached
the mountains there were
only 16 men left and they
had few weapons. But as the
months passed, Guevara’s
group grew stronger.
As the guerrilla's over-ran
government held territory
they distributed land among
the peasants, bolstering
support for Guevara and
Castro’s rebels.
Government officials hit
back, torturing and
executing innocent people,
including children, to get
information about the
rebels. Some people were
publicly hanged, which
disgusted many Cubans,
increasing support for the
rebels.
Some 45 organisations
signed an agreement
committing themselves to
the movement. Among them
were national bodies
representing doctors,
architects and lawyers –
support for the rebels now
included not only the poor,
but the middle class too.
Batista sent more troops to
capture Guevara but they
were unsuccessful.
In March 1958 many
Cubans showed their
dissatisfaction against
Batista by boycotting the
elections, reinforcing Castro’s
conviction that he enjoyed
sufficient support to
overcome Batista.
Then, after talks with the
US government, Batista fled
Cuba. The people responded
by striking and the military
was forced to agree to the
people’s terms.
On 9 January, 1959, Castro
became the new leader of
Cuba. Under his rule, the
government passed new
laws cutting rent,
redistributing land to
peasants and abolishing
separate amenities for blacks
and whites.
Guevara married his first
wife, Hilda Gadea, a
Peurivian economist and
leftist leader, in 1955. They
had one daughter, who
committed suicide.
In 1959 he remarried,
Aleida March. The couple
had four children.
In the following year he
wrote two books, Guerrilla
Warfare and Reminiscences
of the Cuban Revolutionary
War.
Guevara served as Minister
of Industries from 1961-65
before resigning to become a
Guerrilla leader in the Congo
and Bolivia.
In 1967 he was captured by
Bolivian troops while
attempting to recruit miners,
interrogated and executed.
[email protected]