Human Settlements Initiative Relocates Kariega Families from Informal Settlement to New Homes
In a significant step towards improving housing conditions for vulnerable communities, Eastern Cape Human Settlements MEC, Siphokazi Lusithi, officially handed over 39 completed homes to families who had been living in an informal settlement in Kariega, Nelson Mandela Bay Metro. The handover took place on Friday, October 25, 2024, as part of the Human Settlements Month Programme, which focuses on expediting service delivery in the province.
One of the recipients, 78-year-old Maria Jacobs, a widow, and grandmother, had been living in challenging conditions in a shack before being relocated to her new home in Doornhoek. Jacobs, now living with one of her daughters and two grandchildren, expressed her gratitude at the event, acknowledging the Department’s efforts to uplift her and other families.
The Eastern Cape Department of Human Settlements is mandated to create sustainable, integrated communities that improve the quality of life for residents. With a focus on achieving good governance, the department has prioritized four key outcomes: effective governance, evidence-based planning, empowered communities, and land security with affordable housing options. The comprehensive approach seeks to ensure a multi-year housing plan through collaboration with stakeholders, policy development, and an evaluation system that supports sustainable community integration and quality housing.
The department’s focus includes upgrading informal settlements, facilitating community integration through social housing, and acquiring land to promote homeownership. Other priorities include addressing governance through a proactive stance on internal controls, risk management, and the prevention of fraud and corruption, all aimed at achieving an unqualified audit opinion.
in Qweqwe under King Sabata Dalindyebo LM.
as they received a place they will call home
The Doornhoek 40 Housing Project in Kariega, which relocated 40 destitute families, was developed in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro to provide essential services to the newly established community. The initiative reflects the department’s commitment to promoting security, improving governance, and providing decent living standards for vulnerable families in the Eastern Cape.
