A major new township is on the cards for Buffalo City Metro which, together with a new road, will link Gonubie and Beacon Bay bringing relief to thousands of families living in squalor in Gonubie’s Mzamomhle informal settlement.
Businesses in Gonubie welcomed the move saying it would bring a new buzz and add economic sizzle to the seaside community.
For more than 20 years residents of Mzamomhle informal settlement in the area, known locally as Phase 3, have lived in shacks, sharing toilets with thousands of other residents with limited access to taps due to scarce resources.
Close on 2000 families are situated on farm land, but BCM is busy rezoning more than 43 hectares of land for residential, institutional and business use.
This week, acting metro city manager Nceba Ncunyana published a notice inviting residents to submit their comments, objections or presentations to the metro’s town planning department by no later than April 15.
In the notice, he wrote that the new township would see 1565 houses being built as well as a new primary school, three church facilities, a community centre and a business centre. The community will also have five new recreational play areas for children.
A major road to link Gonubie and Beacon Bay will also be constructed on the farm land earmarked for the new township, according to a plan seen by Saturday Dispatch.
A section of the new road has already been completed in Beacon Bay and runs from Retail Park down Quinera Drive to the edge of Beacon Bay.
George Parker, owner of Steers and Fishaways at Lourie Heights Mall in Gonubie, said the new development would increase customers and have a positive impact on Gonubie business.
“It depends on the route commuters will use. Gonubie is a closed economy. It gets a buzz when people come to collect children from school. A new community would create new links, giving people more options to shop at other stores along the new road.
Kings Mall manager Sannie-Marie van der Berg was also keen.
“A new development means more people and more customers. It’s a win-win.”
Gonubie Ratepayers Association chairman André Swart said: “Anything that improves the livelihood and situation of the poor people of Mzamomhle is welcome, but there should be conditions. The contractor must not deviate from the proper building standards and must use adequate material, to ensure the houses do not fall apart. Nor must they be given to unknown beneficiaries.
Delighted residents said they had been promised the project would commence this year.
Community committee chairman Ayanda Makeleni said: “We met the consultants and showed them the settlement. We are very happy that finally some work is to be done because we have lived in very painful and appalling conditions since 1992.”
Residents said the new school would be a relief because pupils were forced to go to schools in Chintsa and Nompumelelo as the only existing school in the area was full.
Resident Gugulethu Vellem said: “The residents are delighted. Residents will be moved to temporary structures elsewhere until people can move into their houses.”
Hundreds of job opportunities are expected to be created during the building process.
New town a ray of hope
Businesses in Gonubie welcomed the move saying it would bring a new buzz and add economic sizzle to the seaside community.
For more than 20 years residents of Mzamomhle informal settlement in the area, known locally as Phase 3, have lived in shacks, sharing toilets with thousands of other residents with limited access to taps due to scarce resources.
Close on 2000 families are situated on farm land, but BCM is busy rezoning more than 43 hectares of land for residential, institutional and business use.
This week, acting metro city manager Nceba Ncunyana published a notice inviting residents to submit their comments, objections or presentations to the metro’s town planning department by no later than April 15.
In the notice, he wrote that the new township would see 1565 houses being built as well as a new primary school, three church facilities, a community centre and a business centre. The community will also have five new recreational play areas for children.
A major road to link Gonubie and Beacon Bay will also be constructed on the farm land earmarked for the new township, according to a plan seen by Saturday Dispatch.
A section of the new road has already been completed in Beacon Bay and runs from Retail Park down Quinera Drive to the edge of Beacon Bay.
George Parker, owner of Steers and Fishaways at Lourie Heights Mall in Gonubie, said the new development would increase customers and have a positive impact on Gonubie business.
“It depends on the route commuters will use. Gonubie is a closed economy. It gets a buzz when people come to collect children from school. A new community would create new links, giving people more options to shop at other stores along the new road.
Kings Mall manager Sannie-Marie van der Berg was also keen.
“A new development means more people and more customers. It’s a win-win.”
Gonubie Ratepayers Association chairman André Swart said: “Anything that improves the livelihood and situation of the poor people of Mzamomhle is welcome, but there should be conditions. The contractor must not deviate from the proper building standards and must use adequate material, to ensure the houses do not fall apart. Nor must they be given to unknown beneficiaries.
Delighted residents said they had been promised the project would commence this year.
Community committee chairman Ayanda Makeleni said: “We met the consultants and showed them the settlement. We are very happy that finally some work is to be done because we have lived in very painful and appalling conditions since 1992.”
Residents said the new school would be a relief because pupils were forced to go to schools in Chintsa and Nompumelelo as the only existing school in the area was full.
Resident Gugulethu Vellem said: “The residents are delighted. Residents will be moved to temporary structures elsewhere until people can move into their houses.”
Hundreds of job opportunities are expected to be created during the building process.
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