The City will upgrade a block of Council Rental Units in Manenberg as part of a broader CRU upgrade initiative.
The City of Cape Town’s Council Rental Unit (CRU) upgrade programme has seen some 4 000 rental units around the city receive a thorough spruce up. A 1 584 unit block of flats in Manenberg has been earmarked for the next phase of the project.
The upgrades include painting, plumbing overhauls, window and door refitting, rewiring of electrical circuits and gutter cleaning. In addition to this, the surrounding area receives attention with such efforts as bush clearing and tree planting.
“We know that when people live in an area they can take pride in, that they feel safe in, and in which they have a sense of belonging, they are more likely to thrive. The CRU upgrades are in keeping with this administration’s efforts towards building a Caring City committed to creating opportunities for all residents,” said Councillor Tandeka Gqada, Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements.
While the upgrades are being done in Manenberg, affected residents will be moved to three temporary accommodation villages bordering on Duinefontein Road. This village comprises 96 12-metre long converted containers with windows and doors, insulation, partitions, bathrooms, free electricity, and free hot and cold water. Residents can expect to stay here for a period of about a month while their units are being upgraded.
Kewtown after upgrade (Image: City of Cape Town)
Kewtown, Scottsville, Uitsig, Connaught and The Range have already had upgrades and tenants have moved back.
“It is clear why the City of Cape Town’s CRU project has been awarded the most outstanding civil engineering achievement in the community-based projects category by the South African Institution of Civil Engineering. We will continue to use all our resources to improve the lives of residents throughout the city,” said Cllr. Gqada.
The Manenberg upgrade is scheduled to be completed by early 2015.
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