The Provincial Minister of Infrastructure Tertuis Simmers put an end to the misinformation in the New Horizon community about the Ebenezer project. Minister Simmers concluded day one of a four day visit in the Garden Route District, by attending a public meeting in New Horizon last night.

Minister Simmers met with the community to ensure transparency is maintained and that the residents receive an update on the project. In recent weeks, the spread of misinformation in this community had been synonymous with the Ebenezer project. The project is still in phase 1 and is expected to deliver 203 top structures during this phase. The 203 engineering serviced sites were completed at the end of April 2022.

However, due to a change in the scope of works, there were supply chain processes that needed to be complied with. The department is in the process of finalizing procurement processes and is expected to advertise the tender for the construction of top structures, with site establishment and the introduction of the successful main contractor to the community before the end of 2022.

Speaking on the reasons to convene a public meeting Minister Simmers said: “it had come to my department’s attention that, there were growing concerns in the community about the project. As a responsible a government, we needed to act swiftly to allay their concerns and provide information with a clear update as to the status of the project. We cannot allow for a few individuals to continue spreading misinformation and destabilize the existing relationship between the community and the two spheres of government.”

Earlier in the day, the Minister officiated the bricklaying ceremony at the Melkhoutfontein Housing Project to mark the commencement of the construction of top structures. This comes nearly a year to the date when the Minister turned-the-sod of the R135 million project. The project is envisaged to yield 590 housing opportunities, with the first hand over planned for April 2023.

Speaking on the progress of the project he said: “this is a great milestone for the partners involved in this project and the collaborative efforts that made this possible. I look forward to returning in the new year and hand over the first set of house keys to the qualifying beneficiaries.”

The first day of the outreach programme was an indication of the Western Cape Government’s concerted efforts to restore hope and dignity of all its citizens, through citizen-centric service delivery.

Source: Government of South Africa