These engagements with the Mfuleni community show our Organisational Development and Transformation Plan (ODTP) in action where we become a more progressive, proactive and customer-centric administration by stepping up direct engagement with the community and partnering with them to bring progress.

I went back to the City in January 2017 and proposed to Council that we would redirect money in the adjustments budget in order to restart these two developments.

The community leaders told us that in order to build trust they would appreciate an agreement in black and white which stipulates the roles and responsibilities of the City as well as the leaders.

On behalf of the City, I fully commit to the following:

The City will remain committed to a process of engagement in respect of the developments.

The City will proceed with all necessary actions to procure the services of the service providers to as soon as practically possible:

• continue with the construction of the Bosasa Extension, which includes the erection of the pre-fabricated top structures
• commence with the civil engineering construction work on the Mfuleni Extension 2 project
• make available 400 opportunities to the community of Mfuleni, Ward 16 at the Bosasa Extension development
• engage with the community on the allocation of the serviced sites in Mfuleni Extension 2

The MOA states that the community commits to the following:

• The community shall remain committed to a process of engagement in respect of the development of the properties and recognise the importance thereof
• The community shall ensure that the appointed service providers will at all times have uninterrupted and unrestricted access to the Bosasa Extension site and the Mfuleni Extension 2 site in order to commence and execute their contractual obligations
• The community agrees to assist in ensuring that the development shall proceed without being impeded through any willful act of the broader community
• The community shall engage with the City should there be any disagreement or uncertainty on matters pertaining to the allocation of the top structures in Bosasa Extension
• The community shall engage with the City should there be any disagreement or uncertainty on matters pertaining to the allocation of the serviced sites in Mfuleni Extension 2
• The community shall assist the City to effect an orderly allocation and relocation of the identified fire victims from BM Section, and the identified beneficiaries of the remainder of the top structures to their new opportunities in Bosasa
• The community shall assist the City to effect an orderly allocation and relocation of the identified beneficiaries of the opportunities in Mfuleni Extension 2 to their new opportunities

Community leader Nkokheli Ncambele said: ‘As the community leadership, we thank all the parties who started the negotiations. We are committed to ensuring that these projects continue simultaneously. This is the start of trusting each other, working together in good faith, and building good relationships with the community and the City. If there are any other difficulties along the way, we will continue to come to the negotiation table until the projects are completed. Finally, we must add that we are not a violent community, we are committed to these projects and would like to work hand in hand with the City’.

In good faith, I hope that we will look back on today as a milestone on the road to the successful completion of both Bosasa and the Mfuleni Extension Two developments.

If we are going to have disagreements which lead to violence, the people will suffer.

If all goes according to our plan, both these developments will have contractors on site by August 2017.

If the community works with us, 2 000 families will have access to subsidised opportunities and addresses within 15 months.

I trust that we have learnt from one another.

When we stopped the developments in 2015, I remember saying that it proves progress is only possible and sustainable when all stakeholders work together.

And when there is no progress, everyone loses. Where resistance exists, development suffers.

The beneficiaries have been waiting too long to start their new lives.

This is only the beginning but I look forward to us working together so that we can ensure people get their housing opportunities that they have been waiting for.

End