Bekkersdal urban renewal project on track

The Gauteng Department of Housing has noted with concern newspaper reports, based on the information generated by the Democratic Alliance (DA) about lack of progress in the Bekkersdal Urban Renewal Project. The Department views the reports as misleading, one-sided and completely out of context.

The Bekkersdal Urban Renewal Project, unlike other regeneration projects, was initiated in 2004 and its core objectives are to address the plight of Bekkersdal residents located on high-risk and dolomatic land through a relocation plan. Those affected include communities residing on informal settlements, backyard shacks and hostel residents.

The Department of housing together with the West Rand District Municipality and Randfontein Local Council have identified suitable land in Westonaria South and Droogehuewel/Middelvlei. Planning is at an advanced stage and a market study is underway in Bekkersdal to determine the beneficiary profile for the new settlements.

While relocation plans are being finalised, the Urban Renewal project has been focused on the upgrading infrastructure in the formal and informal areas of Bekkersdal. Projects underway include - provision of basic services such as toilets and stand pipes in the informal settlements, storm water management, upgrading of a taxi rank, partial streetscapping of the Khomo ea Hlaba, Panya and Godla street, dolomatic risk management to asses possibilities of sink holes and paving in the CBD and along the library.

In the current financial year the Bekkersdal Urban Renewal project will concentrate, on among other things, the completion of the Local Business Support Centre, upgrading of the Information Hub and the Emergency Centre.

The Department is also building additional offices within the Information Hub in order to accommodate some of its staff members on site as well as to establish the Housing Information Centre. Furthermore, electricity connections are being improved within the facility in order to avoid unnecessary power black-outs. While renovations are ongoing, office equipment has been removed on site for safety reasons.

The Information Hub has been converted into an MPCC to accommodate not only the project but also developmental organisations, which provide services to the Bekkersdal community.

Roads construction is ongoing and two roads located in the gateway and industrial precincts will be completed by the end of May 2007. The upgrading and street scrapping of portions of Khomo ea Hlaba, Godla and Panya streets will be completed in June 2007. The construction of a portion of the storm water channel will also be completed in June this year.

With regard to the two clinics, the East clinic is 99 percent complete and will be fully completed and handed over to the municipality at the end of April 2007, while the site for the West clinic was handed over to the construction company last month. The clinic will be completed by the end of July 2007.