GEORGE NUUS - Inwoners van Rosedale-plakkerskamp (PK) het verlede Donderdag 28 Oktober met die hulp van die PBI-party 'n vreedsame plakkaatbetoging gehou om aandag te vestig op hul haglike lewensomstandighede.

Een van die grootste kwessies is die gevoel onder inwoners dat hulle oor die hoof gesien word vir behuisingsgeleenthede in die Erf 325-behuisingsontwikkeling. Die geweld en misdaad in die PK is nog 'n kwessie wat swaar op inwoners se harte lê.

Waarnemende direkteur van menslike nedersettings, Lauren Waring, het bevestig dat die behuisingskwessie op 'n vergadering Maandag 25 Oktober tussen verteenwoordigers van die PK-forum en departementele amptenare bespreek is. "Daar is duidelike en wetlike kriteria vir wie vir staatsgesubsidieerde verblyf kwalifiseer. Dit word in nasionale wetgewing en regulasies vasgestel.

"Die gemeenskapsverteenwoordigers het by die genoemde vergadering aan die amptenare gesê dat hulle belowe is dat almal die reg het op toegang tot gesubsidieerde verblyf, maar dit is glad nie die geval nie – prosesse, kriteria en prosedures moet gevolg word."

Waring het gesê mense wat nie vir 'n subsidie kwalifiseer nie, sal ongelukkig nie toegang tot 'n behuisingsprojek kan kry nie. 

"Die toekenning van die huise in die Erf 325-Oos-projek word gedoen ingevolge 'n raadsbesluit en die toekenningsbeleid van die munisipaliteit. Slegs persone in die Rosedale informele area met wie George-munisipaliteit 'n ooreenkoms het sal oorweeg word vir 'n behuisingsgeleentheid in hierdie projek en slegs indien die persoon kwalifiseer vir 'n laekoste behuisingsubsidie. Daar is geen raadsbesluit dat alle inwoners van Rosedale informele area voorkeur moet geniet in die toekenning van behuisingsgeleenthede nie."

Gedienste erwe

Op hierdie stadium is daar slegs finansiering beskikbaar vir die elektrifisering van 500 erwe vir die tydelike hervestigingsarea. "Die munisipaliteit moet aansoek doen vir verdere befondsing. Die direkteur vir elektrotegniese dienste sal ook ander beligtingsopsies oorweeg," het Waring gesê.

"Bogenoemde kwessies is op Vrydag 22 Oktober aan burgemeester Leon van Wyk gerig en 'n omvattende skriftelike reaksie is op Maandag 25 Oktober aan die verteenwoordigers gestuur."

Klop aan om hulp

Enigiemand wat hul status op die lys wil bepaal, kan die Nuwe Behuisingskantoor op die hoek van St John- en Varingstraat, George, nader of gedurende kantoorure skakel by 044 802 2003. Neem asseblief kennis dat, ingevolge die Wet op die Beskerming van Inligting, die kantoor slegs aan die betrokke persoon inligting oor die begunstigdes van behuising mag verskaf en aan niemand anders nie.

Enige klagtes rakende nuwe huise kan by bogenoemde kantoor of by die areakantoor ingedien word. Sodra die klagtes ontvang word, word dit by die provinsiale departement van menslike nedersettings ingedien wat verantwoordelik is vir die klagtes en enige haakplekke. Die nuwe huiseienaars in Rosedale het twee maande om enige bekommernisse aan te meld. Die betrokke provinsiale inspekteur sal die klagte evalueer en dan 'n kontrakteur aanstel om die saak te behandel.

Marius Snel (voor), 'n inwoners van Rosedale-plakkerskamp, luister aandagtig na Virgill Gericke van die PBI tydens 'n plakkaatbetoging verlede Donderdag, 28 Oktober. Foto: Michelle Pienaar

Acting Human Settlements Director, Lauren Waring:

The Erf 325, Rosedale houses are being handed over to the approved beneficiaries on a weekly basis. To date over 600 houses have been handed over to proud new homeowners.

George Municipality has a waiting list on which everyone who has not previously owned property can register their names to be eligible for a housing opportunity on future housing projects. Once your name is on the list, it does not mean that you will automatically get a house, as the person needs to apply for a human settlements subsidy, be awarded a subsidy and be registered on the National Human Settlements Demand Database.

As was discussed at a meeting on Monday between representatives of the forum and officials of the human settlements department, there are clear and legal criteria for who qualifies for state-subsidised accommodation. These are set in national legislation and regulations. Some of these criteria include: a salary of less than R3 500 per household per month, and that the applicant may not have previously owned property. The community representatives told the officials at the aforesaid meeting that they had been promised that everyone has the right to access subsidised accommodation, but this is not the case at all - processes, criteria and procedures must be followed.

Unfortunately, people who do not qualify for a subsidy will not be able to get access to a site. The allocation of the houses in the Erf 325 East project is done in terms of a council decision and the allocation policy of the municipality. Only persons in the Rosedale informal area with whom George Municipality has an agreement will be considered for a housing opportunity in this project and only if the person qualifies for a low-cost housing subsidy. There is no council decision that all residents of Rosedale informal area should enjoy preference in the allocation of housing opportunities.

Anyone wishing to determine their status on the list can go to the New Housing office on the corner of St John and Varing streets, George, or phone during office hours on 044 802 2003. Please note that in terms of the Protection of Information Act, we may only provide information about the beneficiaries of housing to the person concerned and no one else.

Any complaints regarding new houses can be lodged at the abovementioned office or at the area office. As soon as the complaints are received they are submitted to the Provincial Department of Human Settlements who is responsible for the complaints and any snags. The new homeowners in Rosedale have two months within which to report any concerns. The relevant provincial inspector will evaluate the complaint and then appoint a contractor to attend to the matter.

At this stage, there is only funding available for electrification of 500 plots for the TRA. The municipality must apply for further funding. The director of electrical engineering services will also consider other lighting options.

The abovementioned issues were addressed to the Executive Mayor, Alderman Leon van Wyk, on Friday 22 October 2021 and a comprehensive written response was sent to the representatives on Monday 25 October 2021.

In Rosedale se plakkerskamp - die PK - is dinge nie so rooskleurig nie. Marius Snel se hande het 'n storie om te vertel. Foto: Michelle Pienaar

'Ons bring jou die nuutste George, Tuinroete nuus'