Durban’s Cornubia Integrated Human Settlements Project received a funding boost of R69 million to complete Phase 2A and Phase 2B, as announced at an eThekwini municipal council meeting on Thursday.

The municipality reported that the housing project Phase 1 is almost complete, and 95% of houses have already been transferred to beneficiaries, while Phase 2 has commenced and has since been identified to accommodate the 2022 flood victims currently accommodated in temporary accommodation.

The project is a joint venture collaboration between the National Department of Human Settlements, Provincial Department of Human Settlements, and the eThekwini Municipality. 

The municipality regards the project as the province’s largest sustainable, integrated Human Settlements initiative comprising mixed-use, mixed-income development, incorporating industrial, commercial, residential, and open spaces. 

The municipal report stated that the Tongaat-Hulett development was a strategic private sector partner, but is now facing significant challenges and is in the final stages of the business rescue process.

On that basis, the municipality has been formally notified that a new owner will soon be taking over the company on a date to be confirmed.

The municipality said that the land located in the Cornubia Town Centre has been sold to an experienced and well-resourced developer, who has attracted significant international investors to establish a major home decor chain store.

The municipality said that there has been a lot of interest expressed in the sales and the development of other sites within this precinct. 

The municipality stated that the loss of Tongaat-Hulett as a strategic partner has had a huge impact. Phase 2 has commenced, and currently, an amount of R78 million budgeted will cover the cost of the project until November and December 2025.

Thus, a request was made to the council to reprioritise R69 million from the unspent grants to implement at least 700 sites during the current financial year.

Rory Macpherson, Democratic Alliance eThekwini Ward 102 councillor, said the project was delayed by 15 years, and what was calculated and envisaged for a population census back then was different.

We are supposed to have two schools, two high schools, a pre-primary school, two clinics, and other facilities. No funding is made for this. All we have is a primary school and an unfinished clinic. There is no policing, streets are completed without street lighting, and there is no integrated transport plan,” he said.

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za

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