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 Nsimbini
stand- off resolved
Stocks
& Stocks has resumed building houses in Nsimbini after a stand-off
between the committee and the community disrupted the development
of the area. Stocks & Stocks has completed 354 units to date
and a further 25 units are under construction.
Left: Nsimbini residents take to the streets to protest
against what they consider to be unfair allocation of houses.
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The community
resorted to strong-arm tactics because they believed that certain
members of the development committee were involved in corruption.
Four members of the community, who are not on the development
committee, have been arrested on charges of fraud.
Allegations have been made by community members that the houses
under construction are being allocated to people whose names
do not appear on the housing registers of the area. They allege
that in some instances people who have been living in Nsimbini
since 1990 have not been allocated homes, whereas people who
came to live in Nsimbini in 1998 (as tenants) have been allocated
houses. It is also alleged that certain committee members are
removing rightful occupants from their homes.
“Part of the problem is that people being allocated homes are
defying the ruling that people must destroy their old structure
when they move into a fully-serviced unit,” said a member of
the community. The counsellor for ward 29, Sbusiso Gumede, the
CMDA and Metro Housing officials had to be called in to resolve
the stand-off. |
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 Projects
will boost emerging businesses
There
are several exciting developments taking place in Cato Manor
that will play a big role in boosting the development of small
businesses.
Left:
Sibongile Ngcobo, a member of Masisizane co-operative based
at the Wiggins Housing Support Centre, with Roy Nayager of
the Metro Council, are looking forward to the imminent development
that will change the face of small businesses.
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| The Housing
Support Centre site in Wiggins will soon be converted into a
container park for retailers, manufacturers and other businesses
that will serve the surrounding communities. The Housing Advice
Office currently occupying the site will continue to operate
under the guidance of Roy Nayager. Mxolisi Mwandla of the CMDA
Local Economic Development Unit (LED), told IZWI that an open
tender for the development of the container park would be advertised
soon. He said construction would commence in September. Meanwhile
construction of another container park in Cato Crest is progressing
well, and is scheduled for completion in September. An incubator
project is scheduled for construction along Booth Road early
next year. The project will comprise a number of light industrial
workshops which will house emerging businesses that will receive
mentorship and assistance. This is a concept that has met with
considerable success elsewhere in the province, as new businesses
generally require support if they are to survive and prosper. |
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 Art
exhibition and calendar competition
KwaZulu
Natal artists are invited to submit work for the third iThunga
Art Calendar Competition.
The competition
carries four cash prizes of R1 000 each. The closing date
for competition is 30th August 2001. The theme of the exhibition
is “Umkhumbane- A People’s History” and the four cash prizes
will be awarded to paintings, drawings or prints that most
effectively depict some aspect of the colourful social history
of Cato Manor, originally known as Umkhumbane. The four winning
works will be featured on the 2001 iThunga Fine Art Calender.
The competition is open to artists living and working in KwaZulu
Natal and is run by the iThunga Art Project in Association
with the Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) at the University
of Natal and the Cato Manor Development Association. All works
submitted will be included in an exhibition to be held at
a venue in Cato Manor in October 2001, hosted by the CMDA.
Artists retain the rights to their work, and the work on exhibition
will be on sale to the public.
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