Fast-tracking Cornubia housing for flood victims
Premier Thamasanqa Ntuli made this commitment on behalf of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Provincial Government yesterday (14 August) during a site visit to the Cornubia Housing Development.
The Cornubia Housing Development is part of a broader plan by the KZN provincial department to build 1200 houses by 2027 for families who were displaced following the 2022 and 2025 floods in Durban.
Presently, displaced families reside in community halls and temporary residential units.
'The construction of these 113 houses within four months is a promise in action. By 2027, we want every flood victim in KwaZulu-Natal to live in a safe, permanent home,' said Ntuli.
The province announced the allocation of R149 million for a further 692 houses that form part of this development.
'The 692 houses are scheduled for completion by December 2026, with beneficiaries expected to move in from December 2026 to January 2027,' said Ntuli.
The Premier indicated social facilitation programmes would be initiated by the province together with local municipalities to engage with communities resistant to such developments in their midst.
Beneficiaries of houses under government housing projects were warned not to resell or rent out their homes to non-beneficiaries.
Ntuli said such actions are unlawful and anybody committing such offences will be prosecuted.
'The Department of Human Settlements, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, will take strict legal action against offenders to protect the integrity of the resettlement programme and ensure that the rightful beneficiaries are accommodated,' said Ntuli.
The Cornubia Housing Development is regarded as 'the most ambitious' post-disaster recovery initiatives in KwaZulu-Natal's history.
The 2022 group of displaced flood victims were reported to have accused the government of not fulfilling their housing promises, in recent years.
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