Minister Simmers delivers Qolweni houses in record time | Western Cape Government

News

Minister Simmers delivers Qolweni houses in record time

6 June 2022

On Friday 3 June, Provincial Minister of Infrastructure Tertuis Simmers, handed over 30 brand new homes to beneficiaries of Qolweni, in Plettenberg Bay,  only eleven months since the project was handed over to the Western Cape Government.
 
This is the first batch of houses from an envisaged 169, the balance of which is to be completed and handed over before the end of 2022. The Qolweni Phase 3 project has an allocated budget of R33,5 million. The construction of these houses is carried out in two phases. The Bitou Municipality handed the project over to the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements (WCDoHS) in June 2021,following a collapse in the working relationship between the municipality and community. 
 
Minister Simmers said: “On June 18 2021, together with the community leaders and municipality, a commitment  was made to successfully deliver this project to the deserving beneficiaries of this community. Therefore as I stand here today, I am delighted to hand over keys to these beautifully constructed houses to the 30 beneficiaries. After enduring such a tough and long wait to realize this dream. I want to commend you for standing together and maintaining the collaborative relationship with the spheres of government and private sector stakeholders.”
 
The project unlocked economic opportunities for 12 Small Medium and Micro Enterprise (SMME’s) from the local ward, and in turn created a multitude of employment opportunities. 
Simmers took the opportunity to address the community on what is fast becoming a challenging issue in the government housing developments, which is the illegal sale and rental of BNG houses. 
 
“Your journey in home ownership does not end here today, you still have an obligation towards all those who still yearn for this opportunity. Therefore I implore you to protect the dignity of these houses and do not fall into the trap of seeking to make a quick profit, by illegally selling your houses or renting them out” concluded Simmers.

 

Media Enquiries: 

Ntobeko Mbingeleli
Spokesperson for Minister Tertuis Simmers
Tel: 021 483 2872
Mobile: 061 447 7851
Email: Ntobeko.Mbingeleli@westerncape.gov.za

or

Nathan Adriaanse
Director Communication & Stakeholder Relations
Tell: 021 483 2868
Mobile: 083 263 1720
Email: Nathan.Adriaanse@westerncape.gov.za