After a long struggle for Makana Municipality to get the transfer of a portion of Donkerhoek Farm for a housing development in Alicedale, the Department of Public Works (DPW) has finally agreed to the transfer.
After a long struggle for Makana Municipality to get the transfer of a portion of Donkerhoek Farm for a housing development in Alicedale, the Department of Public Works (DPW) has finally agreed to the transfer.
According to a media release from Makana Municipality the ministerial approval for the gratis release of the remaining extent of Portion 1 of Donkerhoek Farm No 276 for the development of low-cost houses and the construction of a water reservoir was granted by the department.
The release was granted in terms of the State Land Disposal Act, 1961 (Act 48 of 1961) to Makana Municipality in line with the Government’s Outcome 8 on sustainable Human Settlement and Improved Quality of Life, subject to the following conditions:
• The municipality is mandated in terms of Section 7 of State Land Disposal Act, 161 (Act 48 of 1961) to establish low-cost houses and effect the construction of houses in consultation with the Department of Human Settlements;
• The land be transferred without the rights to minerals;
• Makana Local Municipality bears all costs incurred in the transfer of the state land.
• Should the land not be used for the intended purpose, it will revert back to the National Department of Public Works. The municipality said it is working on planning processes in order to proceed with an application for the project from Human Settlements.
The Manager Town Planning, Reinier van der Merwe, confirmed that the Environmental Impact Assessment and township establishment forms were done before DPW approved the transfer to avoid delaying the development
process.
The establishment will see a reservoir and 338 houses being built on that portion of land, depending on the number of beneficiaries.
Alicedale has not had any housing development since 1996 so this is a big milestone for the community.
“As soon as the town planning processes are completed, the application for the project for the development will start, said Van der Merwe.
