The Mitchell’s Plain Phase One housing project has suffered another major setback, with construction now unlikely to begin until 2027, City officials revealed at last month’s Subcouncil 12 meeting.
The project, formerly known as the Highlands Drive and Beacon Valley housing development, has been plagued by delays.
City housing official Benjamin van der Ross told councillors that documentation for the tender process is still being finalised, with contractor appointment only expected by October 2026.
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“If we got a successful tenderer by that time, it would be impractical to start any work in that period leading up to the December break. So the earliest starting time might be in 2027,” he explained.
The first phase will focus exclusively on the Highlands Drive site, delivering 354 housing units to kick-start the development.
Poor beneficiary response
A major concern emerged when only 128 of 300 contacted beneficiaries signed subsidy application forms, with 172 failing to respond to the call-up.
Consultants are now making telephonic contact with non-respondents to establish why they didn’t attend the sign-up process.
Subcouncil chair Solomon Philander immediately called for another 300 names to be released from the waiting list to ensure sufficient beneficiaries for the project.
“We cannot say in Mitchell’s Plain we only got 120 people, and there’s a long waiting list of people waiting for a house. So the 300 is obviously insufficient,” Philander stated.
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A debate erupted over proposals to change the 2019 cut-off date for the housing waiting list, with officials suggesting some residents who moved to the area after 2019 are not reflected on current lists.
The allocations committee has asked housing officials to consider incorporating these additions, but Philander strongly rejected any changes to the cut-off date.
“I do not support the revisiting of the cut-off date of 2019 because what’s happening now, people from Mitchell’s Plain will be excluded from this housing opportunity,” Philander said.
He warned that changing the cut-off date would allow people from other areas to move to Mitchell’s Plain specifically to access housing opportunities, jumping ahead of residents who have been waiting 30-40 years.
“Someone moved in just three to five years ago and now they will be flagged to get a house in Mitchell’s Plain, which is unfair to our people,” he said.
Disruption mitigation
In a positive development, officials confirmed that beneficiaries themselves will help safeguard the construction site once work begins, with some councillor representation on the security committee.
This approach aims to prevent the community disruptions that have plagued previous housing projects in the area.
Philander emphasised the need to protect the project from community interference, referencing previous developments that were disrupted by protesters.
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“We cannot every time stop projects in Mitchell’s Plain. People’s patience is up now,” he said, warning against community members who “think they can just stop projects and burn plants and shoot at people”.
He stressed that such disruptions ultimately hurt residents who have been waiting decades for housing opportunities.
Approval delays
Additional delays stem from the need for application approvals at provincial level, which require both project approval and funding alignment before provincial authorities will grant the necessary permits.
Van der Ross admitted they cannot secure approvals without that critical application being processed first.
He committed to calling a meeting with all councillors before making any decisions about the waiting list cut-off date, ensuring unified political support for whatever approach is adopted.
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The department will proceed with releasing additional names from the original 2019 list to reach the required 354 beneficiaries for the first phase.
Meanwhile, consultants continue efforts to contact the 172 non-respondents from the initial call-up to understand their reasons for not participating.
