By Lucky Khumalo
Bhisho - A multi-million Rand housing project in the Red location near New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, is nearing completion.
Project Manager, Melekile Hani, told BuaNews that the project which is spearheaded by the Nelson Mandela Metro, involved the construction of 350 houses, a cultural centre, an art gallery, a library, a conference hall and a market place.
He said about 200 new two and three bed-roomed houses have been completed.
'Presently we are involved in servicing the sites where more than 100 houses will be built as the last phase of the project," he said.
"The houses were built in four phases starting at the end of 2003 and the whole project is estimated at R160million," he added.
Mr Hani said the houses which were more than 100 years old and built in zinc were being demolished and the beneficiaries would be subsidized at a cost of R30 000 per house.
Ward Councilor Jimmy Tutu said the zinc houses were originally built for British soldiers fighting in a South African war in the 19th century.
"Parts of the old houses will be placed in the museum as symbols of the past and each family will have a new subsidized house " he said.
He said Red Location also called "Masangwana Village" did not only have major political significance, but also had interesting architectural legacy because of the corrugated iron houses.
"The red zinc panel barracks were later handed over to the then Port Elizabeth municipality for civilian use and renamed Red Location by 400 families who occupied the zinc construction compound," he said.
However, Mr. Tutu said, the area became notorious for bad living conditions.
"Overcrowding was common with up to 14 people sharing rooms, no toilets, no electricity and no roads. It was also a hot spot for crime and violence, he said.
Tutu said that the community will be afforded the opportunity of forming co-operatives for businesses such as cleaning services and bead work. The economic development business unit of the Nelson Mandela Metro will assist in establishing enterprises.
According to Mr. Hani the housing project received R1, 2million sponsorship from SIDA, a Swedish company. - BuaNews
Publisher: BuaNews
Source: BuaNews
