Mooikloof Smart City moves ahead despite outstanding government reimbursement
The smart city is a landmark development poised to transform the east of Pretoria, bringing road development, bridging housing gaps and providing employment prospects.
This was revealed during a recent site inspection by the DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Human Settlements, Mervyn Cirota, and the party's provincial spokesperson, Evert du Plessis.
Dubbed a 'green mega city', it is expected to become one of South Africa's largest sectional title housing projects, offering thousands of homes for the so-called 'missing middle' income group.
Launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2020, Mooikloof Mega City is viewed as a smart city that will cater to South Africans who earn too much to qualify for fully subsidised housing, but not enough to afford a mortgage bond.
With a projected total value exceeding R84-billion, the development is one of 62 government strategic integrated projects (SIP) gazetted in July 2020 as part of the country's post-Covid-19 economic recovery plan.
The development spans over 200 hectares and will include more than 50 000 residential units with retail spaces, schools, offices, and other amenities.
The project is also a major infrastructure initiative aimed at creating jobs and stimulating local economic growth.
According to property developer Balwin, as it is an SIP, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure is responsible for funding all external bulk infrastructure services, including water, electricity, sewer, roads, and stormwater systems.
Cirota said he was pleased with the progress made. 'This kind of state-of-the-art development project usually takes a lot of time, money and commitment, but I am happy with the pace that the property developer is moving [at].'
He said what they had seen so far was that it was an excellent development.
'There is a lot of work to be done, a lot of money to be spent, but it will be worth it in the end. We still have a lot of questions regarding the development, and a lot of unanswered questions, particularly regarding the inclusion of other income groups and the dynamics between the city, provincial government, and National Treasury.'
He pledged the party's support for the development, describing it as a major milestone to address housing needs and employment opportunities, as well as road development.
'Roads need to be developed in order to meet the growing demand, and I am certain that with this project, this area will be world-class.'
Cirota said they will be closely monitoring the project. 'We need to regularly visit the sites, we need to monitor what is being said and see what is actually being done. And what will be done to ensure there's progress and ensure that the promises made by the government and the developer are being carried out.'
Du Plessis emphasised the importance of ensuring that communities from nearby townships, particularly Mamelodi, are included in the Mooikloof Smart City development.
He said the project presents an opportunity to address housing needs closer to where people work. 'I recently spoke to a local councillor who highlighted that many people from Mamelodi travel long distances to work in this area. It is essential that housing is created within the development to accommodate these individuals, allowing them to live closer to their places of employment.'
Du Plessis said road infrastructure is of paramount importance.
Despite the progress, the project continues to face challenges, most notably, delayed government reimbursements.
Spokesperson for Balwin, Morné Reinders, said they have not yet been compensated for the bulk infrastructure investments made on the Department of Infrastructure's behalf.
'To date, we have successfully completed phase one of the infrastructure rollout, valued at R205-million, and have officially handed it over to the city of Tshwane,' Reinders said.
'This includes R90-million in bulk water upgrades, R35-million for bulk sewer infrastructure, R66-million in road upgrades, and R14-million in bulk electrical improvements.'
Among the key projects currently out on tender is the doubling of the Garstfontein Road carriageway, from the N1 freeway to Solomon Mahlangu Drive, an initiative that will significantly improve access to the Mooikloof area.
Despite the funding delays, Balwin is moving forward with its development plans, reaffirming its commitment to delivering quality housing and infrastructure.
Reinders said that though the developer has not yet been reimbursed, work on the next phase of the project is already underway.
'Phase 2, which is valued at about R150-million, is currently out on tender and construction is expected to commence later this month,' he said.
'This phase includes R31-million allocated for road upgrades and new roads, R16-million for stormwater improvements, and R6-million for the construction of a new reservoir, sewer systems, a pump station, and rising mains. Additional work includes R4-million in bulk water upgrades, R2-million in electrical infrastructure, and a major R90-million upgrade to the K147 (Zwavelpoort Road), which will serve as a key link between Atterbury and Garstfontein roads.'
Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the city's role in the development is to provide (not fund) bulk and link municipal engineering infrastructure, as well as provide ongoing facilitation support when required.
Mashigo said the development is taking place within the Mooikloof Manor Ext 2 and Ext 1, which is divided into Mooikloof Manor Ext 9 to 15 and Rietfontein Ext 16, that will be utilised for retail use.
'Balwin has installed the bulk water pipeline, sewer line and intends to construct the 2ML reservoir. The said bulk installations are to ensure enough capacity for Mooikloof Manor Ext 2, Ext 9-15 and Rietfontein Ext 16. Eskom is providing electricity to this development.'
He said the developer committed to providing affordable housing, and the city responded by assisting it where it requires assistance to develop within the city.
The plans, at that stage, however, only included First Home Finance units from about R500 000 to address the gap in the market.
'First Home Finance programme is a partly subsidised programme for qualifying residents whose household income is from R3 501 up to R22 000 per month and are first-time homeowners,' said Mashigo.
'Due to the demand for housing, the city needs to engage the developers to include social housing (affordable rental housing, also subsidised) for the project to be more accessible. The development was adopted as one of the city's Strategic Urban Developments (SUD) – these are projects facilitated by the Economic Development and Spatial Planning Department.'
He said the development is a major milestone in Tshwane, as it has rates income potential.
'Assuming that the value of the development on completion is R9-billion in the year 2029, local government rates and taxes could be in the region of R117-million per annum.'
Infrastructure South Africa has not yet provided a comment regarding the allegations of failing to reimburse the property developer for bulk infrastructure services.
ALSO READ: Family dogs found safe after car theft in Newlands
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
eNCA
an hour ago
- eNCA
Crime threatens to topple economy activity in townships
JOHANNESBURG - The urgent need to create a safer environment for those trying to build a better future through business has became a priority. This conversation comes in the wake of the recent killing of an e-hailing driver in Soweto. READ: Kasi Pitching Challenge| Changing the game for township businesses The incident is a chilling reminder of the dangers faced daily by ordinary South Africans simply trying to earn an honest living. What does this say about the state of our society? Juliet Miyabo from the Township Economy Development Community of South Africa had a discussion with eNCA on this topic.
Daily Maverick
3 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Scores of South Africans retrenched by NGO processing Trump's Afrikaner ‘refugees'
The organisation that aims to bring Kenyan workers to South Africa to process Afrikaner 'refugees' bound for the US laid off more than 100 South Africans last year. Church World Service (CWS), the organisation tasked by the US State Department with processing Afrikaner 'refugees' for resettlement in the USA, retrenched about 100 workers in Pretoria in June last year. CWS is now applying for 'volunteer' visas from the Department of Home Affairs for about 30 Kenyan workers to come to South Africa to work on the Afrikaner resettlement project — raising the question of why it is not attempting instead to re-employ the locals it made redundant last year. Daily Maverick understands that the staffers, most of whom were South Africans, were retrenched when CWS closed its Resettlement Support Centre sub-office in Pretoria at the end of June 2024. CWS did not respond to Daily Maverick's repeated requests for comment. Office was in place from 2015 to 2024 'A new office in Pretoria, South Africa, enhances refugee support and programs to cover eight countries,' stated the CWS annual report in 2015. 'Working with the U.S. Department of State, we continue to increase the number of refugee cases in process each year, serving more than 40 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.' An old job ad confirmed that the office was based in Pretoria, and stated that it was tasked with 'the preparation of refugee case files for adjudication by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers, as well as the out-processing and cultural orientation of all approved cases'. The office's address was listed elsewhere as occupying premises on Fehrsen Street in Brooklyn, Pretoria. Daily Maverick understands that staff were informed midway through last year that the volumes of refugees being processed from sub-Saharan Africa were no longer high enough to warrant a permanent office presence in South Africa. That was, of course, when President Donald Trump's Afrikaner 'refugee' plan was not yet even a glimmer on the horizon. Tens of thousands of Afrikaners to be brought over Now, CWS finds itself in need of staff numbers to process the Afrikaner 'refugees' to be resettled — and a Reuters exclusive from last week makes it clear why it would need as many as 30 workers for the task. Reuters, through interviews with US officials, has determined that the Trump administration ultimately aims to bring potentially 30,000 Afrikaners for resettlement in the US. As far as is publicly known, only two groups of Afrikaner 'refugees' have thus far left for the US, with numbers probably not totalling more than 100. This means that the scale of the task ahead for CWS is considerable. Reuters also reported that the Trump administration looked set to admit only 40,000 refugees in total for the year ahead — meaning that fully 75% of the available US refugee spots would be reserved for Afrikaners. This news comes at a time when the US State Department has announced a stop to all visitor visas for individuals from Gaza — which had previously been used for emergency purposes to treat injured children — on the grounds that they could be used by Palestinian refugees. Afrikaner 'refugees' facing difficulties As Daily Maverick has reported, the Afrikaner 'refugees' in the first two resettlement groups have not always found the grass on the other side to be as green as they may have hoped. The Reuters exclusive fleshed out the picture, pointing out that after taking office, Trump slashed refugee benefits. Refugees had been eligible for cash and healthcare assistance for one year, but under Trump this has been reduced to four months. Reuters reported on an email sent by one Afrikaner family to the Department of Health and Human Services, which is responsible for the refugee programme on US soil. The family said they had found it impossible to secure a job without being issued a social security number, and that they had already spent $4,000 (more than R70,000) on food, transport and communications. Adults expected to take low-level menial jobs US public broadcaster NPR previously had sight of the documents given to the Afrikaner 'refugees' upon arrival. In it, they were told: 'You are expected to support yourself quickly in finding work.' It continued: 'Adults are expected to accept entry level employment in fields like warehousing, manufacturing, and customer service. You can work toward higher level employment over time.' DM
Daily Maverick
3 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Between symbolism and superficiality — why the National Convention fell short on path to SA's political centre
Last week South Africa hosted its inaugural National Convention, as part of the National Dialogue process. For those of us who have long argued for a citizen-led process to rethink and renew our democratic compact, the mere fact of its convening was a modest triumph. The symbolism of President Cyril Ramaphosa's presence lent the event a measure of legitimacy. The head of state's endorsement is no small matter in a political environment where similar civil society and faith-based initiatives have often withered due to a lack of coordination and resourcing. Yet, the real test of democratic renewal is not in symbolic gestures. It is in the design, execution and follow-through of such processes. On those fronts, the convention fell short, for now. The promise of dialogue At its core, the idea of a national dialogue is to bring together diverse voices across society to deliberate on our shared challenges and chart a way forward. Last week's event managed to gather an impressive range of participants – civil society leaders, business figures, political representatives and ordinary citizens. South Africans showed that there is still an appetite for a collective conversation about the future of the country. But dialogue is not mere talking. It requires a carefully crafted architecture, a seriousness of content and a level of facilitation that rises above the pedestrian. Here, the gathering faltered. Delays and disruptions plagued the programme, the facilitation often lacked the professionalism demanded by the moment, and the choice of speakers and facilitators seemed more about superficial political choreography than intellectual and technocratic depth. What should have been a laboratory of visionary ideas resembled a pageant of miniature personal speeches. Why design matters If one overlays this experience onto the model below, of participative democracy (see diagram), the weaknesses become clear. At present, our political process remains trapped in the top-down, centralised quadrant – dominated by state institutions, government authority and legal frameworks. This is necessary, but not sufficient. Such institutions provide order and continuity, but they are vulnerable to capture and vested interests, as South Africans know all too well. The national dialogue is meant to be a centre-out process: an effort to radiate participation beyond government, enabling citizens to reclaim agency. Yet the execution left participants oscillating between symbolism and superficiality. Without moving deliberately through the four quadrants of participatory democracy, the President's broad-tent risks replicating the same narrow, precarious forms of legitimacy that are already failing us. Moving through the quadrants To construct enduring political legitimacy, South Africa must do the hard work of traversing all four domains of democratic life, in their rightful order: Institutions of community and social networks (bottom-up, decentralised): Local organisations, cooperatives, faith networks and digital communities are where legitimacy begins. These groups carry the lived experience of citizens. Unless they are systematically included, dialogue remains elite-driven and exclusionary; Institutions of collective organisation (bottom-up, centralised): Political parties, unions, media and civil society forums aggregate citizen voices into national platforms. This is where local grievances become national issues, and where social contracts begin to take shape; Institutions of belonging (top-down, decentralised): Simultaneously, traditional authorities and professional associations, though often hierarchical, give communities identity and voice. Ignoring them creates blind spots in representation; and Institutions of command (top-down, centralised): In the end, and only then, the state, judiciary and security services must anchor whatever compact emerges. They hold the instruments of law and enforcement that can translate consensus into binding outcomes. A national dialogue that fails to move between and across these quadrants will remain lopsided – either a state-driven project lacking legitimacy, or a citizen-driven project lacking authority. The centre as destination The purpose of this exercise is not dialogue for its own sake. It is to arrive at the political centre – that fragile space where legitimacy is forged through the balance of bottom-up energy, decentralised networks and centralised organisation, to arrive at top-down authority as an expression of the public will, not narrow and vested interests. In this centre lies the possibility of an actionable social compact: a binding agreement among South Africans about the priorities we must pursue and the responsibilities each sector must shoulder. Nelson Mandela called for a 'RDP of the heart'. What we now need is a social compact of the heart and hands, not driven by the state of government, but anchored in the activation of citizens, who hold their state and government officials accountable. This week's inaugural dialogue showed both the possibilities and pitfalls of the journey. The presence of the President and the gathering of diverse actors demonstrated potential. But the shallow facilitation, the delays and the lack of robust content revealed how easily such processes can slip into hollow and preformist ritual. If we are serious about democratic renewal, we must now treat design as destiny. That means professional facilitation, credible agenda-setting and a disciplined commitment to inclusivity. It means moving deliberately through the quadrants of participatory democracy, ensuring that no voice is excluded and no sector is dominant. And it means recognising that legitimacy is not gifted by the head of state alone – legitimacy must be earned through a process that is transparent, citizen-led and action-oriented. A drum beat South Africa does not lack dialogue. We lack effective dialogue that can deliver actionable outcomes. The inaugural National Convention has given us a starting point. The task now is to create a drum beat of engagement that can turn that starting point into a national renewal project. Legitimacy in a participative democracy is not found at the extremes of command or protest. It is found at the centre – painstakingly constructed through engagement, inclusion and shared sacrifice. Our challenge, and our opportunity, is to make this inaugural step the first movement in a dance that takes us towards that centre. DM
