Building experts to help communities to build their own houses

Gauteng Housing MEC Ms Nomvula Mokonyane together with her counterpart Ekurhuleni Mayor Duma Nkosi, launched the Community Builders Project (CBP) at Winnie Mandela informal settlement in Tembisa, East Rand, on Wednesday.

The uniqueness of this programme is that it involves community members in the construction of their own houses. In so doing the programme accelerates the delivery of houses as well as curbs the mushrooming of shacks in the province.

The MEC said that CBP was introduced to replace the former Peoples Housing Process (PHP) whereby the community will be the builders of their own houses and will be guided by building experts. The MEC also said that the challenge facing the settlement is its population density.

Apart from providing decent houses the MEC said "government's is to rid Gauteng of informal settlements by 2014 and to change the lives of the people for the better. This area (Winnie Mandela Park) will be our pilot project," said MEC Mokonyane.

Mayor Nkosi said they take pride in the project (CBP). According to the informal settlement survey conducted by the department and Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality in 1996 it was found that there were 11 500 structures and an overflow of 3 188 families within Winnie Mandela.

In an effort to deal with the problem of overflow 1 015 beneficiaries have been moved into stands with top structures in Esselen Park Ext 1 and Ext 2. Furthermore a Housing Support Centre was established to deal with problems such as occupation of wrong stands.

Evelyn Kodibone (34) of Winnie Mandela Park Zone 9 is one of the beneficiaries. "I am very happy to be allocated this house". Kodibone moved into the house a month ago with her husband and four kids.