East social housing project to end 6-year Plastic View saga – metro

Tshwane metro is adamant it will see out the relocation of qualifying Plastic View and Cemetery View dwellers to a planned social housing development in Pretorius Park.

This is as ratepayers in Moreleta Park, Woodhill, Woodlands and Mooikloof have become fed up with the six-year lack of action by the metro in implementing a court order to move the informal settlement from their doorstep.

The social housing is planned for construction close to Woodlands Mall and will house a select number of South African citizens living in the two informal settlements.

The plan comes as the metro consulted with the residents last week for their comments on the construction of the development.

Esme Masuku, the strategic adviser to Tshwane MMC for Human Settlements, said: “ By law, we need to hold public participation as traffic and businesses will be affected by construction.”

Masuku said the metro was still in the planning stage of the building of the new homes for some of the 800 Plastic View dwellers.

“The metro does have a plan for social housing in the area to house members of Plastic View and Cemetery View,” she said, adding that “currently there is an objection [to the development] by residents”.

She said the metro was expecting a response to the objection in 14 days and planning to move forward to receiving a council resolution on the social housing project.

Masuku said she was also aware of a social media petition about ratepayers’ concerns about crime and health resulting from the two informal settlements.

“We know the ratepayers are unhappy and we are dealing with moving the settlement dwellers in a constitutional manner.”

She said the metro was still lobbying the mayoral committee, council and quantity surveyors, while an environmental assessment impact would also need to be completed.

“The law is very rigorous and we are seeing plans through.”

She said patience was requested from the ratepayers as the metro streamlined the approval and construction plans.

She said the Tshwane metro’s plans are also a solution to the housing backlog in the city, which stood at 210 000 in June.

Masuku said the metro was on a mission to alleviate the housing pressure by providing low-cost housing.

“We understand the shortage and demands from various communities in Tshwane; however, the Plastic View community and Cemetery View already have land allocated to them.”

Masuku said while there was no budget for the construction, once the rigorous laws were abided by, the metro would approach Social Housing Regulatory Authority for money.

“We need to get our ducks in a row before we approach this authority.”

Masuku said the metro was also communicating with the Department of Home Affairs to iron out the process of deporting the illegal immigrants in the two informal settlements.

“We do not have jurisdiction to deport illegal immigrants. Our department can only hold the department accountable for action in this process.

“We assure that only South Africans will be placed in the social housing as they are eligible according to criteria.”

Recently, locals petitioned the metro to remove illegal immigrants from Plastic View and enforce a court order.

The petition had garnered 1 880 signatures by Monday, September 5.

The petition started by a man called Nico Hamman states that:

“We, the tax-paying residents of Moreleta Park Ward 91 and 47, are tired of constantly listening to empty promises being made to remove squatters from Plastic View.”

The petition’s descriptions states residents of Moreleta Park, Woodhill, Woodlands and Mooikloof were fed up with the constant lack of action by the metro and management.

“We endure the noise pollution that we have to live with every day and especially on a weekend, constantly live without power due to cable theft in the adjacent veld and excess levels of crime in our suburb, highlights an ongoing theft syndicate operating in Plastic View.”

It said the informal settlement brought with it illegal dumping in the veld and the burning of hazardous pollutants.

“We demand that the metro police enforce by-laws and uphold the existing court order to remove all illegal immigrants.”

The petition demands immediate action from mayor Randall Williams to abide by the existing court orders and authorise frequent police and home affairs raids of the area to deport illegal immigrants.

The Plastic View saga has been ongoing since March 2006 when metro officials, local SAPS and community police forum allegedly joined in an illegal operation that burnt down shacks in the settlement and destroyed personal property.

The settlement dwellers litigated and the Supreme Court of Appeal ultimately found that the metro had lied under oath and that the “operation” was reminiscent of the brutality of the apartheid era.

Since 2009, the High Court in Pretoria has made a series of orders instigated by surrounding homeowners associations regarding the relocation of settlement dwellers and its regularization.

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*Please note this article has been amended.

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