Cape Town - Ward 62 councillor Emile Langenhoven (DA) has challenged the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) over the question of neglected problem buildings and properties owned by the department in the Wynberg/Constantia area.
Langenhoven has joined forces with the DA’s DPWI parliamentary spokesperson Sello Seithlo and they have taken a joint approach to the problem with Langenhoven gathering signatures from his ward for a petition, which Seithlo will present to Parliament’s public works portfolio committee.
Langenhoven said that when the petition was presented to the portfolio committee, the affected residents would be asked to present their concerns to the portfolio committee.
He said: “I hope to have the co-operation from the entire ward when I publish the petition as this would be a pilot into how we can deal with national government issues which are difficult to resolve on a local level.”
The duo toured DPWI properties in ward 62 which covers parts of Constantia, Newlands, Plumstead and Wynberg.
The properties included the old Parliamentary Sport Complex in Fernwood, Waterloo Green in Wynberg, 2 Military Base and the area adjacent to the Constantia Emporium.
Langenhoven said this last property, where a small settlement of shacks has sprouted since the shopping centre was launched in 2019, had been identified by local residents as a crime hot spot after stolen goods from Constantia and surrounds had been found there.
Seithlo said the DPWI had a responsibility to ensure it worked with all spheres of government to alleviate some of the concerns arising from their lack of protection of their own property and land.
He urged the DPWI to act and ensure that they’re able to provide the relevant and necessary security for the properties and land as this would mean that people could not illegally occupy them.
“This will ensure we don’t keep having situations where communities around those areas then cry about crime, safety, etc. I intend to move a motion in Parliament, in which I will say where there is a case where DPWI has not secured its property and its assets in essence, then they must work in collaboration with the municipality in delivering services that are required in such areas.”
Speaking in Parliament during the debate on the DPWI’s budget, Seithlo urged the DPWI to take up its co-ordinating and enabling role instead of enabling the creation of Informal Settlements on government properties.
He said the people in such informal settlements lived “in squalor, far removed from job opportunities, and with absolutely no access to basic services such as running water, sanitation and access roads”.
Despite reminders, the DPWI had not responded to our queries by time of writing. However, last September former DPWI Deputy Minister Noxolo Kiviet told Parliament there were plans in hand for dealing with unused state-owned properties.
This was after members raised concerns about the vandalising of unused properties and land invasions bringing up specific cases where they said the department had not responded to offers to take over the unused property.
mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za