New homes for thousands

GUGU BLOSE

THE City’s Housing Depart-ment will receive R140-millionover three years for the upkeepof four hostels which are beingtransferred into its care.

This is in addition to theR100-million the province hasalso pledged to give the Cityfor the upgrading of otherhostels.

The Umlazi T section, Kwa-Mashu E section, KK in Kwa-Dabeka, and KwaMakhuthahostels were the responsibilityof the provincial housingdepartment but had receivedlittle financial support formore than two years.

The money will be used toprovide lights, water andrefuse collection and toadminister the four hostels.

Walter Ngubane, of theCity’s housing department,said: “In the past we could notrun the hostels effectivelybecause the City didn’t havecontrol over them.

“The hostels were not underour care but the occupantswere coming to us when theyneeded basic services. TheCity was always overspendingbecause we had no budget tocover these places,” he said.

Ngubane said the housingdepartment had to rely onother eThekwini departmentsto provide services to thehostels for free, when thingsbecame dire.

The paperwork for thetransfer of the hostels is underway and once complete, theCity plans to upgrade them.

This will bring the numberof hostels on the City’s booksto 10.

The City is already respon-sible for the SJ Smith, inLamontville; Dalton, in Um-bilo; Glebelands, in Umlazi;Thokoza, in Greyville; Jacobs;and the Duffs Road hostels inKwaMashu.

And R100 million, from theprovincial Housing Depart-ment, has been earmarked tofund the further upgrading ofthese hostels, with the excep-tion of Thokoza.

BloseGugu@durban.gov.za

R240mfor cityhostels

MICHAELNAICKER’S DURBAN GIGDurban Diary Page 6

Friday2 November 2007

Your FREE city paperwww.durban.gov.za

SCHOLARPATROLSAVES LIVESNews Page 3

METROe z a s e g a g a s i n i

NO KIDDING!R3M UMLAZI GOATTRADING HUBNews Page 5

KEN MCHUNU

THOUSANDS ofpeople will have achance to rentaffordable homesin Durban next

year, thanks to a R120-millionproject targeting three areasof the city where accom-modation is in short supply.

The KwaZulu-Natal Depart-ment of Housing, the NationalHousing Finance Corporation(NHFC) and Section 21, non-profit developer Sohco, havejoined forces to build fromscratch, or refurbish 629 rentalunits. Work is already forgingahead at Albert Park, Hillaryand Cato Manor.

Mayor Obed Mlaba, speak-ing at the launch of the RiverView project at Umkhum-bane, Cato Manor, said allthree developments wouldprovide affordable rentalhousing close to the city, jobopportunities, transport linksand other amenities.

He lashed out at “parasiticalthieves” who illegally rentedgovernment houses to des-perate migrants. He said theCity, with the help of wardcouncillors, would ensurethat none of this happened inthe new structures.

River View is a 330-unitdevelopment comprisingtwo-bedroom units housedin two and three-storey walk-ups. It is on the banks of theUmkhumbane River oppositeeThekwini Technical College,close to the Albert LuthuliHospital, a sports complexand a light industrial park.

The Port View developmentin Albert Park involves refur-bishing four buildings in thearea. It will yield 142 rentalunits, comprising 22 sharedroom units, 30 bed-sits, nineone-bedroom flats and 81two-bedroom flats.

It is next door to a numberof non-governmental org-anisations involved in com-munity work, the DurbanMusic School and the OldHouse Museum, as well astransport routes, schools andcommercial areas.

The third project, ValleyView, at Charles Winser Drive,in Hillary, comprises 157 two-bedroom units housed in two,three and four storey walk-ups. The site includes aconservation zone and a viewover Seaview, the University ofKZN and the sea. It is close tothe Queensburgh ShoppingCentre, transport, schools andcommercial areas.

KwaZulu-Natal MEC forHousing, Mike Mabuyakhulusaid: “We are promoting thedevelopment of more integ-rated cities to undo the effectsof the segregationist policiesof the previous government.”

He said the Umkhumbaneproject was particularlysignificant because it wasfrom this area in the 1950sthat the apartheid govern-ment had begun its process offorced removals in the city.

The developments are duefor completion next year.

Zohra Ebrahim, Chair-woman of Sohco, said theprojects would cater largely topeople who had come toDurban to find work. “Most ofthem do not want permanentownership of houses. Theyare people who already ownhouses in towns and villagesoutside of Durban.”

Ebrahim said Sohco haddelivered 600 similar units atAmalinda in East London,achieving a rental recovery of98% and occupancy levels of100% since it was completedfive years ago.

MchunuK@durban.gov.za

CAN DO: The ‘Tin Can Girls’ dazzle in Umoja. The hit show opened at the iZulu Theatre, Sibaya Casino, lastnight and runs until 13 January. For entertainment news see Durban Diary, Page 6

METRO REPORTER

IT’S that time of theyear again when MayorObed Mlaba honourspeople for the selflesswork they have done touplift themselves andtheir communities.

The Mayor’s Awardsfor Excellence, now inits 10th year, beginswith a breakfast launchthis morning at theHilton Hotel.

The main awardsevent will be held on 10November from 6pm atthe ICC.

To date, a total ofmore than 300 peoplehave been awarded fortheir good work. Theserange from initiatives insafety and security, cleanenvironment, communitydevelopment, wealth andjob creation, and tourism.

Over the years new cat-

egories, such as achievers inthe fields of sports, arts,education and big business,have also been recognised.In the case of big businessthe criteria is job

opportunities createdand social responsibilityshown.

Many of the categoriesare now named inhonour of liberationstalwarts, whom Mlabasaid,“brightened ourdarkest days during thestruggle with messagesof hope for the future”.

These include ArchieGumede, Curnick Mth-akathi Ndlovu, DorothyNomzansi Nyembe,Bertha Mkhize, StevenDlamini, Johnny Mak-hathini, Grifiths andVictoria Mxenge.

Nominations for theawards can besubmitted throughoutthe year. So grab this

chance and perhaps amember of your communitymight be honoured nextyear.

See the mayor’scolumn: Page 7

It’s Mayor’s Awards time!

BRIGHT NIGHT: Mayor Obed Mlabawith chess champion Tasnim Amraat last year’s awards