Kanana Residents Receive Houses In Forest Village

Yesterday, 10 more residents from the Kanana Informal Settlement in Gugulethu moved into their brand-new homes in the Forest Village development in Eersteriver. This brings the total from Kanana that have thus far benefitted from this development, as part of the dedensification during the lockdown period to 51. This means 126 of the 150 beneficiaries that ought to be moving in, have already done so.

Minister Simmers said: “Being in a position where we’re able to make this tangible change in our people’s lives bring me immense joy. We have made a commitment to assisting the most vulnerable from this community and this is exactly what we’re doing. The elderly and those living with a medically certified disability is our priority and we will continue to assist them. Our aim is to improve the lives of our people, while also restoring their dignity.

I’m looking forward to ensuring that the remaining 24 from Kanana also swiftly move into their new homes.”

One of the beneficiaries from Kanana, 62-year old Ms Xoliswa Patso, said: “This is great day. I no longer have to live on the water and my many years of suffering in Kanana are over. I’m truly grateful to God and the Minister for changing my life.“

Said Minister Simmers: “It is important that our beneficiaries value the asset which they receive and take care of it. We encourage citizens to draft a will and ensure that they leave a legacy for their children.

Forest Village is one of the Department’s Catalytic Projects, which commenced in January 2016 and has a budget allocation of R1.1billion. This mixed-use development consists of various types of units to cater for beneficiaries of different income levels and specific needs such as Military Veterans, Breaking New Ground (BNG) and Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme (FLISP) units.

Simmers added: “As the Western Cape Government, we remain committed to accelerating human settlement delivery, while promoting social inclusion through the development of integrated, resilient, safe and sustainable human settlements in an open opportunity society.”