Gauteng Government Launches Cosmo City Housing Development

The construction of low cost houses and mixed income residential area came to an abrupt halt in Cosmo City next to Dainfern when its Jukskei Crocodile Catchment Association objected to the development.  This was followed by legal battles between the city of Johannesburg and the above mentioned association in which the latter won the case. It gives the government pride that the Cosmo City is eventually going to be completed. 

What is remarkable about the place is the squalor and poor security. The situation in the area can be described as follows:

• Over 3000 people have illegally occupied this area today. They have no security of tenure, and the area lacks basic water and sanitation infrastructure.
• These people have been requested to move from Zevenfontein properties to Cosmo City as a solution. They would fall under the jurisdiction of the Council where the development opportunities are available.

• People of Zevenfontein fetch water from the Jukskei River.
• They use pit toilets and this is unhygienic.
• Use candles and paraffin and this might result in unnecessary spread of fire and destruction to property
• The area is very dusty and prone to sicknesses such as Cholera and TB
• The community is totally isolated from major economic nodes and there are no social amenities, which leads to substance abuse.

Status quo

The Housing Advisory Committee entered into a contract for development of 8000 housing subsidies and installation of basic services in Cosmo City as a project in May 2001.

The above was followed by the signing of the service agreement on the 11 November 2001 between CODEVCO (Developer) and the City of Johannesburg,  

The beneficiaries named in Land Availability Agreement are from the areas of Zevenfontein, Riverbend as well as the existing families of the Van Tonder Property and the Skhosana family.

A review application brought by objector (to the Cosmo City Project) against the City of Johannesburg during February 2004 was successfully opposed and the Township Board has since recommended that the appeal be dismissed. 

The Township Board has on the 25 June 2004 recommended that the town planning application approved by the Town Planning Tribunal be reconfirmed. The objector has 60 days to comment on this recommendation before the Township Board could write its final report to the MEC for Local Government.  

Project Details 

The project entails the phased servicing of 8 000 residential erven and the construction of at least 5 000 RDP and 3 000 bonded and credit linked housing structures. “We don’t want to create an isolated area of unemployed people and those that are earning below R3 500 per month. We want to build sustainable communities by developing a mixed income area so that those who earn better salaries can be able to create jobs for the unemployed” says Nomvula Mokonyane Gauteng Housing MEC. 

 She continued to say, “This project will change the spatial design in Gauteng”. In line with this goal the MEC stressed that “a further 1000 housing units will be provided as part of the project, subject to a successful application to the Provincial Housing Advisory Committee by a Housing Institution. These projects are the lead projects of a holistic and integrated development programme for the Cosmo City area”.  

The project will be enrolled with the NHBRC and will be implemented in accordance with the minimum standards of the Gauteng Department of Housing.    

In accordance with government approach and MEC Directives on the Waiting List Administration, it is should be noted that the target communities for the respective of the project will be identified from Gauteng Provincial Waiting List and the preference will initially be given to relocating qualifying beneficiaries from Zevenfontein and the River Bend Informal Settlement, and other target communities as identified by the Local Authority and approved by the MEC.      

Costs  

5% of the subsidies allocated to this project shall be reserved for the disabled and 5% for the right-sizing purpose, and if these subsidies are not taken by these special cases, Departmental approval will be required to allocate the balance to other qualifying beneficiaries.  

The projected cost for the project is about R224 million and the Developer will be expected to be on site by the 01 November 2004.

Issued by Media Services and Research Directorate. For more information please contact Mongezi Mnyani on 082 602 5358