Western Cape Minister of human Settlements, Tertuis Simmers welcomed the progress that is being made at the Rooidakke Housing Development in Grabouw, and that the contractor is adhering to all health and safety protocols as issued by the Provincial Department of Human Settlements.
Minister Simmers said: “I am looking forward to returning to the area within the next few weeks when we will hand over15 units to qualifying deserving beneficiaries, which are inclusive of houses for persons with disabilities. A further 20 is expected to follow soon thereafter.”
This project, which has a budget allocation of just over R79,6 million, commenced at the end of 2011. It is expected to yield 1 169 housing opportunities and thus far, it has already seen a total of 912 services being installed, while 877 houses have been handed over to beneficiaries.
Minister Simmers added: “I am also pleased that the contractor, who is a young individual has ensured that 100% of the labour force was sourced locally, with 40% being female and 20% young people. This demonstrates our commitment to provide opportunities for our Historically Disadvantaged Individuals (HDI’s), which are inclusive of women and youth.
I further commend the contractor, along with the Ward Councillor, who assisted the employees and the broader community with food parcels while we were under alert level 5 and workers were not allowed on site.
I also thank the broader community for ensuring that none of the units were vandalised or illegally occupied during this this period. As much as COVID-19 has placed us in an unfamiliar and challenging space, the contractor and community are demonstrating what can be achieved if we take ownership and work together for the greater good of the broader community.
It is therefore vital that all of us continue to observe the 5 golden rules of good hygiene to stop the spread of the Coronavirus – washing our hands with soap and water, wear a cloth mask when out in public, adhere to the social distancing rules, cough or sneeze into a tissue or elbow and stay home if you are unwell.
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.”
