BREIDBACH RESIDENCE BENEFIT FROM ANOTHER HUMAN SETTLEMEMNTS PROJECT

Providing decent quality houses to Eastern Cape residents remains one of the Department’s top priority. With each project, challenges will always arise. Some easily solvable, others needing intervention for completion. Some unfortunate to be blocked due to different pressing issues. Reasons for blocking the projects vary from poor workmanship of the appointed contractor, poor terrain, bulk infrastructure challenges, to mention a few. However, the crucial point to always keep in mind is that, people out there are in dire need of shelter and Human Settlements must deliver. This is why the department has come up with the Campaign focusing on systematically unblocking the historic blocked projects in the province.

In the province, there were 87 blocked projects. To date, 58 of those projects have been unblocked. Breidbach project one amongst the 58 projects that are unblocked, this is great news because it means that more qualifying citizens who are awaiting occupancy for their houses will now receive their house keys for occupancy. Restoring their dignity by improving their way of life through shelter, comfort, safety and security.

During the month of February 2024, Breidbach residents were thrilled to officially receive their newly built houses from MEC for Human Settlements, Siphokazi Lusithi, alongside Executive Mayor for Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM), Cllr Princess Faku. Amending the injustices and delays affecting service delivery, providing decent quality homes brings back the sense of Ubuntu as it restores the dignity of the most vulnerable, the low-income earners and unemployed. Most affected beneficiaries have been living under poor conditions in mud structures and some in shacks.

“Tight collaboration with different pheres of government have made all this work possible, working together with municipality have assisted a lot in cases of avoiding illegal occupation thus avoiding vandalism” MEC Emphasized. Addressing the community, she further explained to the community why the project was delayed, and gave progress on houses that are still in progress.

The 139 beneficiaries from Breidbach benefitted from the Breidbach 531 Housing Project. This are beautiful houses one can spot just 5km from King Williams Town driving towards East London. This Human Settlements development entails the construction of 531 housing units for the benefit of the destitute families of BCMM. Working with the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, the project was developed from a plain land parcel which required planning and bulk services, including roads, water, sewer, and electricity connections. The project is integrated in an existing community that has amenities including a clinic, school and community centre in the area, making this a “picture perfect” Human Settlements.