Let me start by wishing you and yours a prosperous and joyous 2013 that sees an upturn in the economy of the Republic of South Africa and an improvement in World Markets in general.
Visit by the Premier of the Western Cape: Helen Zille
January started with many interesting developments and improvements within the Blackheath area and also a visit from the Premier of the Western Cape on Thursday the 24th of January 2013. Helen Zille visited Happy Valley to celebrate the handover of keys to the proud and grateful recipients of 7 houses of the R185M Happy Valley Housing Project.
Happy Valley is now home to about 1500 families who currently live in shacks, with some of them having been on the housing waiting list for 26 years. After the initial delay in the awarding of the contract due to an appeal process having to be followed, construction began in June 2012.
In November the first 70 families were handed their keys and moved into their new homes as the first Phase of the development was completed. The City of Cape Town’s Housing Department hosted the event with Councillor Ernest Sonnenberg, the Mayoral Committee Member for Housing at the Helm. The Mayor Alderman Patricia De Lille was also present at the event.
The City of Cape Town and the Provincial Government of the Western Cape have funded this development that was initiated in a partnership between the Blackheath City Improvement District, The City of Cape Town and the Western Cape Provincial Government. The City and Province funded the R185M development, with 1452 houses planned for roll-out before December 2014.
Premier Helen Zille was quoted to say: “This was an un-serviced informal settlement and people were cross, now I see these neat little houses with solar panels on their roofs. It is wonderful because this is progress.”
Mayor Patricia De Lille was quoted to have said: “The City of Cape Town will continue to work hard to build integrated settlements for the 358 000 people on the Housing Waiting List. People are coming into the Western Cape on a daily basis and it is not that we are failing to build houses… The population is growing and more and more people want houses.”
