Witzenberg
Witzenberg Local Municipality is one of the new local municipalities participating in Phase 2 of the RSEP Programme. The town of Ceres has been identified for implementation of the RSEP Programme.
Focus area:
The neighbourhoods of Bella Vista and Nduli
Background:
Ceres is a historically fragmented town that is divided into 3 smaller neighbourhoods. Vast tracts of valuable agricultural land between the areas of Ceres, Nduli and Bella Vista limit the physical integration of these areas and there is a lack of social and commercial services in the previously disadvantaged areas of Nduli and Bella Vista.
A new large subsidized housing development called Vredebes is located next to Nduli and is planned to house residents from the municipality’s housing backlog. The municipality expressed numerous concerns around the housing development and the municipality’s limited budget to administer and sustain the new development. It was decided that the existing SDF needs to be reviewed and that a precinct plan should be done for the Bella Vista/Nduli/Vredebes area. The precinct plan will focus on accommodating significant growth in the town and meeting the diverse needs such as economic development opportunities, a range of housing types and integrated movement between largely fragmented settlement parts. A collaboration committee will also be set up to get different national, provincial and municipal departments together to implement the plan.
In the short term the municipality, with the financial assistance of the RSEP Programme, will attend to improved and safer pedestrian movement between Bella Vista, Nduli and Ceres, where the shops, facilities and services are located. It will consist of inter alia, completion and extension of paved pedestrian walkways, beatification and lighting.
Ceres Reconstruction Framework
Featured project:
The review of the Witzenber SDF will be completed in 2020. The purpose of the SDF is to provide general direction to guide decision making aiming at the creation of integrated and sustainable towns within the municipality. The SDF will also identify the location and extent of the Precinct Plan which is needed for the Bella Vista/Nduli and Vredebes area.
