Housing in Southern Africa November 2015

News

President Jacob Zuma

Zou Kota Fredericks

Zuma officially opens N2 Gateway President Jacob Zuma says government’s efforts to restore the dignity of the residents of Langa through the roll-out of integrated human settlements have paid off.

T he President officially opened the N2 Gateway project in the Cape Town informal settlement during October. The N2 Gateway Integrated Hu- man Settlements Development is a national priority project designed to address poverty, destitution and homelessness through the elimina- tion of informal settlements. The President said that prior to the launch, there was no adequate hous- ing in the area and residents lived in squalor. “We wanted to ensure that the N2 Gateway project becomes an important intervention. “We realised that in order to cater to the needs of the residents of the city, there had to be a change of gear and approach in the way of doing things,” said Zuma. The President said that govern- ment wanted to ensure that the project not only created houses, but was part of an overall strategy to provide facilities such as schools and clinics, correct apartheid spatial

planning and bring people closer to work opportunities. To date, the project has delivered over 14 000 houses. The Department of Human Settlements will complete a further 8 000 units by 2019. The President unveiled a plaque to commemorate the official opening of the project. He put on a protective jacket and hard hat and laid bricks at one of the units under construction. Accompanied by Water and Sani- tation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane and Human Settlements Deputy Minister Zou Kota-Fredericks, he proceeded to hand over houses to several beneficiaries before address- ing members of the community. Similar projects being rolled out nationally include Ethekwini in KwaZulu-Natal, the Nelson Man- dela Metro in the Eastern Cape and

Lerato Park in Kimberly in the North- ern Cape, amongst others. “We have also made tremendous strides with regards to human settlements in the mining towns, thanks to the part- nership and support of the mining companies,” he said. The President added that the N2 Gateway project, along with others around the country, would go a long way in putting a dent on the country’s housing backlog. He said government would also ensure that it speeds up the process of building sustainable human settle- ments becauseCapeTown, inparticu- lar, was still faced with a challenge of informal settlements. “Projects such as the N2 Gateway had a positive impact on the lives of many people in areas such as Langa, Delft and Gugulethu townships.” ■

November 2015