EThekwini Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda visited the Kennedy Barton Place Housing Project.

EThekwini Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda has tasked the Human Settlements Unit with exploring the potential of constructing high-rise buildings rather than single-story structures. He was speaking during Operation Siyahlola at the Kennedy-Barton Place Phase 2 Housing Project recently. The Kennedy-Barton Place Phase 2 Housing Project is currently under construction and is set to provide 198 family units. Mayor Kaunda was impressed with the progress made at the project.

He said once completed; it will house residents from the Kennedy Road Informal Settlement. “With land being a scarce resource in Durban, if we aim to address the issue of informal settlements effectively, we may need to consider alternative housing options such as high-rise buildings to accommodate a larger number of people,” said Mayor Kaunda.

He also directed the Human Settlement Units, through eThekwini City Manager Musa Mbhele, to explore the feasibility of constructing high-rise social housing where suitable, based on the land’s geotechnical assessments. Speaking on the housing project, Mayor Kaunda said: “I am pleased to see that phase 1 has been successfully completed with residents already settled in. The progress towards phase 3 demonstrates our commitment to addressing the issue of informal settlements,” he concluded.