Housing in Southern Africa October-November 2016

News Housing

5 million euros for NMbM Bay upgrade The German Development Bank (KfW) has provided funding of €5 million to the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (NMBM) for the Safety and Peace through Urban Upgrading (SPUU) initiative, through implementing agents, the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA), for Helenvale.

T he Helenvale project aims to become a blueprint in address- ing housing, living space, public space and infrastructure, in order to eliminate poverty and improve con- ditions. The Helenvale community has been deeply affected by poverty, crime, drug abuse and domestic vio- lence. The metro has been tasked with rolling out the funding over a period of five years. At a recent workshop with the various stakeholders the German Development Bank Senior Project Manager, Gabriela Götz, said that other cities can replicate theHelenvale model. This includes a 200 unit pilot housing project. According to the MBDA CEO, Dr Pierre Voges, “Project timelines are behind schedule, as the city and the Helenvale community need to resolve challenges, unpack and analyse the medium term review. Participants in- cluded: the NelsonMandela BayMetro Executive Mayor, Athol Trollip, Acting Municipal Manager, Johan Mettler, community leaders, municipal and provincial delegates, social partners and community forums. Voges reported R20 million had been allocated and only 30% of the projects had been completed. This falls short of the projected 50% target for this stage. Strategic pillars include: • Public space and infrastructure delivery stood at 40% completion (original projected target: 70%); • Initiatives promoting safer schools was recorded at 45% (original pro- jected target: 60%); • Youth employment promotion stood at 25% (original projected target: 50%); • Prevention of domestic violence was 30% (original projected target: 55%); • Improvement of living spaces stood at 30% (original projected target: 45%). Voges said that the recent local mu- nicipal elections had affected project timelines and delivery targets. “The last six months prior to the elections were extremely disruptive. Contrib- uting factors included the long pro- curement process before appointing contractors; and leadership contests that included theward committee and PAC in decisionmaking processes. But the people voted, and now we must put our heads down and start work

Athol Trollip, councillor Pieter Hermaans and Gabriele Götz, at the Helenvale Resource Centre in Port Elizabeth.

again. Everyone is committed towork- ing hard in order to catch up.” “We are worried about the pilot housing project, we need to resolve

He added that Helenvale is the picture of peace and community life one day, and then suddenly violence erupts the next. “We want to see this community

transformed. We ap- preciate KfW’s part- nership and the im- plementation so far by the MBDA. But we are concerned about the 200 houses in the housing pilot proj- ect promised to the community that has not materialised. We

the council-funded portion. For every rand from KfW the metro must match i t . Th e Ge rman funder needs this as- pect resolved before we can unlock the next trench of fund- ing for the project.” Voges points out

‘We are concerned about the 200 houses in the pilot project that have been promised and have not been built.’

cannot tell people they will get houses and then we don’t build or deliver them. Thiswill have tobe investigated. No more empty promises!” Trollip underscored the importance of community ownership. ■

that a major concern is the mainte- nance required for the buildings and infrastructure created in Helenvale. However, Trollip said that the city and administration will work hard to make the SPUU a great success story.

October/November 2016