The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements is making strides to assist victims of the devastating April 2022 floods, but their plans for housing development in Shallcross are encountering significant resistance from residents.

MEC Siboniso Duma has reported a disruption in the construction of houses after objections were raised by the community.

Explaining, Duma said the department identified 12 portions of land owned by the state across the eThekwini Metro. It is estimated that the 12 portions can yield 4 458 residential sites, with the proposed medium-density housing typology.

“The two portions out of 12 portions are ready for construction, SPLUMA (Spatial Planning and Land Use Management) has been approved in the two portions in Shallcross Ward 17,” Duma said.

The department wants to construct 42 houses on the land ERF 165 and 43 houses on the land ERF 1765, a total of 85 houses for the victims of the April 2022 floods.

Duma explained: “We wish to indicate that as the department, we met with the community of Shallcross on July 27, 2024, and on August 20, 2024. In these meetings, we introduced the contractor, and there were no objections.

“In our meeting with residents, it was agreed that local residents who have been waiting for houses for more than 30 years and those affected by floods will be accommodated in the 85 units to be built in the area.

“It was further agreed that local emerging contractors would be given contracts.

“However, the contractor was stopped by the local community from undertaking site establishment on November 20 and November 21 last year 2024.”

Duma said residents opposed the project citing service delivery issues such as water and electricity shortages.

“This matter was considered by the SPLUMA Tribunal and a go-ahead was given for the construction,” Duma stated.

He added that residents said the construction of low-income residential units would cause a decline in property market values of the existing homes, making it difficult for current residents to sell their homes and move elsewhere.

The department said there is no scientific proof of this argument.

Newly appointed department head Sihle Maxwell Mbili is tasked with speeding up social facilitation between the Shallcross community, the department and eThekwini Municipality.

Shallcross Civic and Ratepayers Association vice-chairperson Allan Govender said they objected to the project because they were not consulted and learned about the project after it was given the greenlight.

“The other issue is we have major service delivery discrepancies in the area. Adding more homes is going to jeopardise our situation further,” Govender said.

He said they submitted objections to different government departments.

Govender said their objections were “based on the fact that our infrastructure is suffering, we’re gonna put more pressure on it and the fact that we are not ready for anything more to be taken on.”

He said: “At the moment there are areas in Shallcross that have no water for lengthy periods of time, extending to not having water for 20 days in the month. We have daily water outages due to infrastructure issues.”

Govender added that Jamaica Park is also the only green space in the area, and a recreational facility for the life of Shallcross, religious organisations also use the park on many festivals during the year.

thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za