10 July 2019
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Occupation of land must stop immediately From P 1
and cons of installing a desalination plant.
“If we find, for instance, that people who receive houses rent them out within the first few weeks after being handed the keys, I will not hesitate to take those houses back. If that is the case, the recipient did not deserve the house,” he said.
Mayisela said that, at this point, the working group is considering doing the Schulphoek project in two phases as the area that is closest to the ocean already has development rights. However, they will be working with other government departments on rezoning and the environmental approval processes.
He also said that, in future, new and innovative ways need to be found to unlock the value of municipal properties. “If a piece of land or a building is not being used optimally, I will ask that this property be transferred to the provincial government to be used to create human settlements.” He said that there are several human settlement developments in the country, and specifically one in Belhar, near Cape Town, where higher density projects are being developed to offer as many housing opportunities as possible. “A housing opportunity can take many forms. It includes freestanding homes, multi-storey dwellings, a serviced plot or rental accommodation. The development in Hermanus will aim to cater for all the needs in the various communities.” Simmers added that backyard dwellers will in future also be included as a priority on the provincial housing lists. It was re-emphasized that the only way in which the Better Living development at Schulphoek can go ahead, is by stopping the illegal occupation of the land. “I need two commitments from the community. The first is the undertaking that all occupation
She said that specific attention will be given to the environmental impact of the development on the area. “While it will not be possible to conserve the complete milkwood forest anymore, we will look for opportunities to conserve what is left and, if possible, try to rehabilitate some of the areas.”
The Western Cape Minister of Human Settlements, Tertius Simmers, addresses residents of Zwelihle and urges them to stop occupying further land in Schulphoek as this will put the proposed mixed-development housing project at risk. of the land will cease. The second is that all stakeholders continually communicate with their constituents to ensure that they are aware of what is happening at all times, to ensure that rumours and misinformation are not spread.” Phila Mayisela, Chief Director: Human Settlement Implementation at the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements, said the project cannot continue if the land continues to be occupied. Mayisela also gave further details to the stakeholders' forum on the progress of the development plans for Schulphoek ahead of the next
meeting of the 16-member working group on 22 July 2019. She said that one of the key challenges is how to bring the community onboard with the planning of the project and announced that a number of NGOs had been appointed to assist the stakeholders with the process. The involvement of ward councillors and community leaders will be crucial, she pointed out. Other key issues that the working group will be looking at in the next weeks include what type of buildings (four- or two-storey or semi-detached) will be needed to create the goal of 7 500 housing opportunities, as well as the pros
The Department of Human Settlements also said that they are considering setting up another working group to look at how to create housing opportunities in the whole of the Overstrand. The Schulphoek project proposal is informed by the Conradie Better Living Model being developed in Pinelands, Cape Town. The concept is to make well-located, affordable housing available in an area where the upmarket section of the development will assist in subsidising the lower-priced units. The proposal that was presented in March 2019 by Architect Mokena Makeka of Makeka Design Lab was for 1 000 housing units and included a multi-storey, mixed-use zone, consisting of both retail and housing space, a beach-facing residential area, seafront promenade, a pedestrian avenue, a milkwood forest corridor, mariculture facility and a desalination plant.
Hermanus protest marches postponed The protest marches planned for this week by Zwelihle Renewal (ZR) were postponed late on Monday evening after intense negotiations during the weekend and Monday evening. The decision by ZR to postpone the march was taken after a Hermanus Stakeholders Group meeting earlier in the evening. The stakeholders’ meeting was also attended by representatives of the provincial departments of Labour and Home Affairs. Members of Zwelihle Renewal were set to march to various businesses in town to hand over memoranda addressing the issue of more foreign nationals reportedly being employed than South Africans. At the stakeholders’ meeting, it was decided
that a task team would be set up to facilitate compliance with the labour laws in the Overstrand. This task team would be required to report back to the Stakeholder’s Group within the next month. A representative from the Department of Labour said that the official legislative guideline provides for a ratio of 60% locals to 40% foreigners. “No company may employ more than 40% foreign employees and those who do so are breaking the law and will be arrested alongside the worker,” he said. It was stated that the onus rests on the employer to ensure that the guidelines are followed and that the working permits of all employed foreign nationals are in order. Asylum seekers, on the other hand, do not need work permits
as they are allowed to work in the country and have the same access to government services as locals. According to the Department of Home Affairs, there are regular inspections at businesses in the Overstrand and a total of nine businesses in the area have been charged since March 2019 for not complying with the law. In anticipation of the marches that were set to take place from Tuesday to Friday, the Whale Coast Business and Community Forum (WCBCF) on Monday applied to the Cape High Court for an interdict to stop protesters from visiting their premises. The interdict was granted by Judge Monde Samela and stipulated that no protester would be allowed to come closer than 50 metres to the premises of any of the 18 applicants.
According to the WCBCF, they will do everything within the confines of the law to protect their businesses, staff and reputations. “The threats of mass protest action from a self-appointed group in town against legitimate businesses will not be taken lightly. This group’s assumption that labour issues, unfair business practices and other related matters are in existence here is based on false information,” WCBCF said in a statement. The Hermanus Business Chamber said it welcomed the postponement of the protest marches and is committed to working with the authorities and stakeholders on the newly formed task team to facilitate an appropriate outcome that will be conducive to the protection of existing employment opportunities and the creation of new ones.
