A rocky road to housing

Frustrated residents of Rocky Park, Stanger have called KwaDukuza municipality (KDM) out for not delivering on their promise of providing homes for low-income earners.

In an angry protest recently, more than 100 residents of Ward 19 took to the streets outside a mixed-income development after they received news that people from outside the ward had “illegally” occupied the units that many had been on the waiting list for, for about 10 years.

Resident Cyril Pamdaram and member of the KDM task team said KDM had initially promised residents that they would be given preference for the mixed-income development. He said the construction had been entangled in a web of corruption. After 10 years only about 60 units have been competed and the flats had not yet been legally connected to water and electricity.

“A high school was supposed to be built but KDM told the people of Rocky Park that instead, they would build a low, middle and high-income development that will see all earners living
together. Preference was supposed to be given to the older residents of Rocky Park.

“The contractor who took 10 years to build the flats that are still not complete, is apparently now renting the flats out to people from outside the ward to collect an income. This, while people of Rocky Park continue to wait for flats.”

Resident Andrew Molloi said he had been on the waiting list for the flats. “I applied and I was in the first 210 but now I do not think I am on it anymore. There is too much corruption. First, we were told that it was for Rocky Park residents and now it is for whoever can afford it.”

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Kayla Sander said the situation was sad because people from Rocky Park were depending on those flats.

“They were given so much hope when this housing project started and for it now to be taken from them with these lies and empty promises. We need answers and we need them now. Enough is
enough. For once we should put aside our differences and stand together as a community.”

Ward 19 councillor and KwaDukuza deputy mayor Dolly Govender admitted that there were three people occupying the flats that had not been on the waiting list.

Speaking to the residents recently, Govender vowed to take control of the situation and said that a meeting with all stakeholders, including the contractor, was to be held this week.

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