The Mogale City central business district (CBD) is set to get a facelift once the local municipality implements its Social Housing Policy, executive mayor Koketso Seerane said last week.

The Gauteng-based city was currently finalising the Social Housing Policy, which would guide the establishment and promotion of a sustainable housing environment, after sourcing public comment in February.

“Most business buildings in the CBD will be converted into residential apartments with varying occupation arrangements that include rental, rent-to-buy and outright purchase,” Seerane said during his State of the City Address.

The policy aimed to accelerate the provision of housing to low- and middle-income citizens as a way to “restructure and integrate” previously excluded groups in the city.

According to the draft policy, low-income households were defined as earning between R1 500 and R3 500 a month, and low- to medium-income households earned between R3 501 and R10 000. Qualifying criteria for social housing included South African citizenship and earnings of between R1 500 and R7 500, besides others.

The large-scale rural-to-urban migration had put great pressure on government to intervene in the rental market, as the provision of housing stock could “no longer catch up” with the population increases, the policy explained.

“Our priority in implementing this policy will be to ensure people live closer to working opportunities and revive the inner city,” Seerane explained, adding that Mogale City had seen significant growth “on various fronts” despite the global economic downturn.

Seerane said the city, which had approved R16.2-billion in building investment since 1994, with R7-billion realised within the past five years, would spend about R4-million on refurbishment of the Green Hostel in Kagiso.

Phase 2 of the Kagiso hostel conversion project, comprising the construction of an additional 45 family units, was expected to start soon.

RURAL RISING
In an effort to accelerate rural development, The Presidency had introduced the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme.

The Hekpoort-Kromdraai rural node was identified as one of four pilot sites for the programme.

“The municipality is working with the national government to implement an agricultural project in Hekpoort. The project focus will be on the planting of Kenaf, a plant species with a variety of uses and environmental benefits,” Seerane noted.

Various projects, in collaboration with other government units and the private sector, had been implemented, including the erection of 100 EnviroLoos at Lethabong and Tswelelopele, the establishment of community food gardens, fence-making and bakery cooperatives, as well as a toy library and an early childhood development centre in Kromdraai.

Further, with rural housing development a key priority for the municipality, the Rural Housing Strategy was developed to ensure “orderly housing development” in the rural nodes of the municipality.

“The strategy is aimed at the eradication of informal settlements, ensuring sustainable delivery of basic services and addressing security of tenure. Through implementation of this strategy, the socioeconomic landscape of the rural areas is transforming for the better,” Seerane explained.

To date, 558 and 203 houses have been built in Ga-Mohale and Rietfontein Village, respectively, with another 97 units completed and 86 under construction in Ethembalethu.

The city pointed out that approval for the mixed-housing development of Refentse Township, in Nooitgedacht, had been granted and plans were under way to develop this township, as well as the Dr Molefi Sefularo Village, in Hekpoort.

TRANSPORT AMBITIONS
Meanwhile, as Mogale City recorded significant growth, a Local Integrated Transport Plan, which would see various transport hubs upgraded to meet the growing demand for an efficient public transport system, had been tabled.

The mayor said development proposals were currently under consideration for the upgrade of the Krugersdorp railway station after the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa budgeted R30-million for the project.

“This project is part of a slew of interventions aimed at the regeneration of the Mogale City CBD,” Seerane said.

“The city will work with the Gauteng Transport Commission to accelerate opportunities presented by the phased introduction of the bus service in the West Rand as pronounced by Premier Nomvula Mokonyane in her State of the Province Address,” he added.

Efforts were also under way to conclude plans to upgrade the N14 between Mogale City and Tshwane, as part of the export-import driven “Lanseria City” development.

Further, tenders were currently out for the construction of the regional taxi rank at the much-awaited R2-billion Leratong Nodal Development.

ELECTRIFYING MOGALE
Mogale City said more than R200-million had been spent on the upgrade of the various substations and the upgrading of transmission lines to improve the city’s electrical supply capacity to accommodate new developments.

The city also injected R5-million into the electrification of houses in Kagiso Extension 13 and Sinqobile, besides others, and provided for public lighting in informal settlements, including Pangoville, Tudor Shaft, Joe Slovo and Makhulugama.

Mogale City was currently exploring alternative off-the-grid energy provision for informal settlements across the city, while initiatives were under way to reduce the impact of conventional electricity generation on the environment, Seerane added.

“For example, a process of installing energy efficient light fittings has started in municipal buildings and on street lights, [while] a solar geyser installation programme is [also] being rolled out. Currently, a waste-to-energy strategy is being developed to add impetus to an existing move towards alternative and renewable energy.”

The City and the Department of Energy entered a memorandum of understanding to pilot a smart metering and other renewable-energy projects in Munsieville, with the department contributing R10-million towards the project.

WATER
The city’s provision of other basic services would also be boosted, as the municipality allocated R53.8-million for construction of bulk water and sewer pipelines and the installation of prepaid meters, besides other initiatives in areas such as Kromdraai, Lanwen, Munsieville and Magaliesburg.

New reservoirs would also be constructed in Munsieville, Magaliesburg and Muldersdrift, while the Kenmare reservoir, sump and pump station would “receive further attention”.

This emerged after the municipality said it spent over R220-million on water and sanitation projects, including the resealing of reservoirs, maintenance, refurbishment, the installation of new water and sewer pump stations, upgrading three wastewater treatment plants and the extension of water reticulation to other areas of the city, over the past few years.

“We also supply tankered water to informal settlements across the city,” Seerane added.

A municipal priority for the year ahead would be a water pipeline replacement programme and the continuous installation of prepaid meters to reduce the volumes of unaccounted-for water.

“Provision will also be made for bulk water supply to the Chief Mogale mixed-housing development. All these water projects are expected to cost about R79-million,” the mayor said.