Presidential visit to the Hillside View integrated housing development in Mangaung, Free State province
At the core of the human factor lies the innate need to survive, to thrive, and to grow in every possible way towards self-actualisation. For this, humanity needs a nurturing environment; first a home then a community, a society, a country and the world.
In pursuit of this ideal as detailed in Outcome 8, sustainable human settlements and improved quality of household life, President Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa will launch, and officially hand over houses to the rightful beneficiaries in Hillside View this coming weekend. This mixed development project includes houses for the bonded market which could be obtained through Finance Linked Individual Subsidies offered by government for low to middle income first time home buyers, 600 Breaking New Ground houses of which over 230 are complete, 50 houses for Military Veterans and houses for the Restitution Programme.
The state of the art, environmentally conscious Social Housing Units further down the road completes this programme. Currently at Phase 1, when complete this project will yield 839 units of subsidised rental accommodation for low income citizens.
This project aptly responds to the challenges of human settlements and spatial disparities as described in the National Development Plan:
“The inefficiencies and inequities in South Africa’s settlement patterns are deeply entrenched as apartheid left a terrible spatial legacy. Where people live and work matters.”
Through its proximity to the city, the project addresses spatial issues, targets integration and responds to environmental challenges such as water shortage, greening and recycling, uses of solar energy to save on electricity. The BNG housing project will also offer beneficiaries trees, gardens which will be watered through ground water. When well used, the gardens meant for own use and for selling, could yield up to R12 00 per month.
These initiative by the developers, Kentha Construction, directly talk to issues of self- sustainability while taking care of the environment and alleviating poverty. These are core to Human settlements development as a programme that is more than providing houses but addressing other sustainability issues such as job creation, economic development, environmental care, reduction of crime etc. towards overall meaningful livelihood.
President Ramaphosa, accompanied by the Premier SH Ntombela, the Executive Mayor of Mangaung Metro,Olly Mlamleli, together with Ministers, Deputy Ministers, and Members of the Free State Executive Council and other political figures in the province will hand over 4 houses to selected beneficiaries.
Beneficiaries who will receive houses, include a 99 year old Nkgono Taole who till now, has lived in the shack, a blind man of 47, and an elderly white that has lived at the nearby cemetery.
The President will also attend a community meeting where he will be the main speaker addressing the community on various government programmes and issues that are of concerns to most communities in the country.
The Free State Provincial Government through its Human Settlements programme, in line with the national mandate and as fulfillment of the promise of 1955 Freedom Charter, seeks to ensure that indeed, there are houses, security and comfort.
Details are as follows:
Date: 26 October 2019
Time: 08:00 - 11:30
Venue: Hillside View BNG Housing Sports Ground, Hillside View
Miss Pulane Tsupane
Deputy Director: Media Liaison and News Services
Cell: 071 3022 595
Email: pulane.tsupane@fspremier.gov.za
