It is pure exaggeration that thousands of new units will be built as part of the Parkdene Extension 7 development.
In various notifications in the Advertiser, and responses from the DA’s Clr Johan Hendricks and Derrick Fox of Parkdene Ratepayers, figures of 2 800 and 3 000 housing units are mentioned, regarding the development.
This is not true and it only tends to instil fear in Parkdene residents and homeowners.
The connection made between Reiger Park as a crime hot spot and this development is also extremely racist, as the development would also affect the affluent part of Reiger Park.
Ngxambuza said that, during March of this year, a notice was posted that the Ekurhuleni Metro was declaring its intent to establish a township on a portion of Leeuwpoort Farm no 113 IR.
This township would consist of 339 erven, zoned residential 3 (200 square meters bonded stands), 158 erven, zoned residential 4 (112 square meters subsidised stands), 120 units, zoned residential 4 (120 units per hectare), 160 zoned residential 4 (160 units per hectare), 180 units zoned residential 4 (180 units per hectare), which means 957 units in total, which is not part of approximately 1 000 erven currently being developed.
The ANC march of April 2 sought to highlight the exclusion of housing for the poor sections of the Boksburg community, which this project will address.
On every major street corner, at every traffic intersection in town, there is a poor person begging for help. Some create shelter by erecting makeshift structures from plastic, cardboard and other materials, while others occupy abandoned buildings.
These are black and white people, who face the common challenge of poverty and unemployment.
Poverty and unemployment, together with rising costs of essential services, is the ticking time bomb that South African society is sitting on.
We call upon all interested and responsible parties in ward 32 specifically, and Boksburg in general, to conduct their affairs in a responsible manner, as it is dangerous to create or deepen racial or class divides, regarding the debate over the Parkdene development.
