New Rest Valley, an area where service plots were given to residents in Riebeek Kasteel, has been dubbed the new “Blikkiesdorp”, with more than 500 residents and 434 zinc-like and wooden structures and is home to the poorest of the poor.
The Weekend Argus team visited the community this week where residents, some of whom are both mentally and physically disabled erected homes using refurbished material and their South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) grants.
The new development came into existence after service plots were provided by the Swartland Municipality in 2020.
These included former backyard dwellers who were awaiting housing.
New Rest Valley’s Committee told Weekend Argus, inhabitants were promised that between 2022 and 2023 permanent housing would be considered if a budget was provided.
The committee was formed to raise the various challenges of the community.
When the newspaper visited the community, many residents did not have front doors, one family used a carpet as a door and dug a trench underneath their home to prevent flooding while others had no windows.
Residents said their roads and homes became flooded during heavy rainfall because of the clay-like ground which became waterlogged and that some of the homes didn’t have electricity.
They added that electrical poles were built on the inside of residents’ properties and that there were no formal pavements or a playground for children or any recreational facilities.
Committee leader, Eric Mnyang, said they had raised their concerns with the municipality.
One of these residents is the 24-year-old woman who was allegedly raped by her uncle and was featured in the newspaper last week.
The case against the uncle has since been provincially withdrawn.
“There are over 400 people living here and 434 plots,” said Mnyang.
“We were provided with service plots and you had to build your own structure for a temporary period.
“The agreement was that Swartland Municipality would look into the budget and provide housing for people who are in demand for housing.
“This is supposed to happen between 2022 and 2023.”
Another committee member, Lucky Maneli, said the roads and the ground were not suitable for housing. “Did they do the necessary development and environmental and structural tests and surveying to see if this land was suitable for building homes? When it rains, the roads and homes are flooded and the ground becomes like clay and it is water-logged.”
Residents, Martha Diedericks, 56, Marthinus Diedericks, 72, and their daughter Annetjie Diedericks, 45, who lives on the border of the development, live in squalor.
Their home has no front door and a carpet has been used in its place and they were forced to dig a trench underneath the shack to keep away water when it rains and they have no windows.
Martha is disabled and their daughter said she had used her grant to build the home. “I built this place before my parents arrived and I used my grant but I did not have enough money left for windows and we had to dig this trench under the shack to stop the water from coming in from the farm next door or when it rains.”
At another home, the shack is dark inside without any ventilation and Pete Isaacs, who is disabled and suffered a stroke, sits outside in a broken wheelchair while 13-year-old Elton Louw, feeds their dog which is chained to a pole.
The structure is home to more than five people including an infant.
Karen Joubert, 40, who used to be a backyard dweller said she would rather move back to her family’s home where she lived in the yard than live on ground made out of clay. “The ground becomes like clay and you are unable to get rid of the water..
“I would rather move back to where I lived before than this life.”
Former Atlantis ward councillor and activist, Barbara Rass, also visited the community and was shocked by the living conditions.
“This is an infringement of human rights. How is it that people who are disabled are having to build their own structures?,” she said.
“There are no facilities for the community and there are no parks for the children or any form of recreation.”
Matthew du Plessis of the South African Human Rights Commission said they would engage with the municipality and noted that the conditions would not be solved overnight. “The Commission is aware of this as well as many other communities that are struggling with access to proper municipal services and housing.
“We are trying to address these issues as holistically as we can and are in consultations with the Swartland Municipality (and others) to improve services in these kinds of areas.
“There is unfortunately no quick-fix for the many thousands of informal settlements that exist in South Africa, which is why municipalities work through Integrated Development Plans (IDP) to progressively realise the right to services of this nature.
“The Commission intends working together with municipalities in the Western Cape in pursuance of their respective IDPs.
“We will address the Blikkiesdorp settlement in more detail in our next engagement with this municipality.”
Jo-Ann Krieger, acting municipal manager, Swartland Municipality, said: “It is important to note that the municipality is only the implementing agent and that all human settlement programs are funded and made possible by the national and provincial government. The beneficiaries in Riebeek Kasteel insisted on serviced sites back in 2018, instead of waiting for a project that includes top structures. The agreement is that the serviced site is provided with a water connection and water meter, a sewerage connection, and electricity connection with a prepaid meter (electricity provided directly by Eskom), roads access and concrete structure fitted with a flush toilet, connected to the sewerage system."
In 2007, Blikkiesdorp in Delft came into existence with over 1 600 homes made out of zinc and were part of a Temporary Relocation Area (TRA) for backyard dwellers.
Blikkiesdorp still exists today with more inhabitants.
Last year the City confirmed the area cost R30 million to construct and is home to rival gangs such as the Gifted Gang. The City of Cape Town Human Settlements Mayco member Malusi Booi confirmed that 1 400 dwellings were still in existence after 14 years and that each dwelling erected for a qualifier cost R53 000.
The area has since been allocated by Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa) and housing development is underway for three identified beneficiary communities such as Blikkiesdorp, Malawi Camp and Freedom.