Heritage Cases

A2. ACTIVITY MOTIVATION A2.1 SOCIO-VALUES OF THE ACTIVITY The proposed development will give community members a better standard of living, as well as access to essential services including roads, electricity, water supply, appropriate sewage disposal infrastructure, and environmental health in the area. Therefore, the proposed development will enable adequate housing to be constructed, thereby promoting access to basic service delivery as well as socioeconomic development in the Smero/Caluza Township and its surroundings. The proposed site is directly adjacent to the existing neighbouring residential area of Smero/Caluza and it will also have its greater part in already settled areas within informal or brick and cement structures on them. The development thus will provide accessibility and allow the proposed development to link to the existing services infrastructure. A2.2. ECONOMIC-VALUES OF THE ACTIVITY Due to the existing settlement, namely the Smero/Caluza Settlement, the proposed development will expand the housing footprint in the immediate area. The proposed development will tie into existing services, reducing both construction costs associated with the construction of a stand-alone development in an area where surrounding land uses are not in line with the nature of this project. This will result in additional costs associated with the excavation and laying of new pipes, construction of roads and other bulk services. The development location will also reduce environmental costs associated with tragedy of commons. A2.3. NEED AND DESIRABILITY OF THE ACTIVITY Housing is a national need, including in the Msunduzi Local Municipality. The Municipality's aims to promote socioeconomic development through the eradication of backlogs associated with water and sanitation, electricity, and housing, as well as improve basic services within Smero/Caluza. In order to meet the needs of the community within Smero/Caluza, the Council resolved that a project business plan be submitted to Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA) for the construction of Smero/Caluza Low-Cost Houses as per the Msunduzi Integrated Development Plan. The plan includes the provision of infrastructure and basic service through securing suitable land for human settlement projects. The provision of affordable housing units remains a high priority for the Municipality which will restore the dignity of poor people by providing shelter and access to basic human rights as enshrined in the Constitution of South Africa. The demographic profile of the Msunduzi Local Municipality especially the city of Pietermaritzburg has an un even distribution of its population depending on areas affordability. This community requires formalized, state-instituted housing, and associated, infrastructure. The proposed development will re-distribute the density of the population, improve community member’s standard of living, as well as access to essential services including roads, electricity, water supply, appropriate sewage disposal infrastructure, and environmental health in the area. Therefore, the proposed development will enable adequate housing to be constructed, thereby promoting access to basic service delivery as well as socioeconomic development in Smero/Caluza and its surroundings. This will give community members a better standard of living, as well as access to essential services including roads, electricity, water supply, appropriate sewage disposal infrastructure, and environmental health in the area. Therefore, the proposed development will enable adequate housing to be constructed, thereby promoting access to basic service delivery as well as socioeconomic development in the Smero/Caluza Township and its surroundings. Msunduzi Local Municipality is committed to the vision of the National Government of which it committed itself towards accelerating shared growth to halve poverty and unemployment and promote social inclusions. Housing is one of the social inclusions in this vision.