More than R130-million will be made available for housing in the Nelson Mandela metropolis following four days of protests over slow housing delivery.
Eastern Cape Premier Nosimo Balindlela announced this on Thursday while appealing for calm.
She said R116-million will be made available this year to finance current housing projects in the metro, an additional R12,2-million for geo-technical allowances, and R7,5-million for the unblocking of blocked projects.
”I want to assure them [the people of the Nelson Mandela metro] that we shall not abandon the poor,” said Balindlela.
She pointed out that in the 2004/05 financial year, the municipality built 14 000 of a planned 16 000 houses.
”As provincial government and the metro, we have also agreed that there is an urgent need to investigate and rectify areas of poor workmanship,” she said.
Protesters blocked main roads using burning tyres in New Brighton on Thursday morning, but dispersed peacefully in the afternoon, police said.
”The crowds have dispersed and no major incidents were reported. It has become quiet again,” said police spokesperson Captain Johan Beetge at 3pm on Thursday. — Sapa