Thursday 22 January 2004

This site will be updated on 30 January  2004 at 17:00

Business - Sakenuus

• 200 new houses
• Tenders for new dam

THE new housing project at La Motte forest village was launched recently near Franschhoek.

The Department of Land Affairs, in conjunction with the Boland District Municipality (BDM), embarked on this R9,8 million project to provide housing to 200 families as well as to upgrade the existing village.

The amount of R9,8 million includes the transfer of land and houses, provision of external services and sewerage works (R2,8 million), upgrading of internal services and access roads (R4,8 million) and a reservoir and pipeline (R1,9 million).

"This project is part of a land reform project that is designed to restore dignity to people and provide assets that will enhance security of tenure and the economic well-being of these families," said Clarence Johnson, Mayor of the BDM.

"On the doorstep of the farms of prominent South African families such as the Ruperts, we now have a community of poor people with hope for the future.

"This is the South Africa we fought for, where black and white, poor and rich people can live side by side in harmony.

"This is the seed of a legacy that our children can inherit."

The new homeowners signed a pledge to make the project a safe place for women and children, protect and beautify the natural environment, be responsible homeowners and create a community that is careing, tolerant, protective and instills pride and motivation.

THE Berg River Dam near Franschhoek will be the first modern concrete faced rockfill dam to be constructed in South Africa. Approved tenderers must submit their tenders in March.

TCTA, the implementation and funding body of the Berg Water Project in the Western Cape, recently announced that a pre-qualification process has been completed and that three joint ventures out of nine applicants may submit tenders for construction of the dam near Franschhoek.

The tenderers are:

* Berg River Dam Contractors (HCI) consisting of Hochtief Construction AG, Concor Holdings and Idama JV (ACV Civils cc and Yethu Civils cc);

* Berg River Project Joint Venture (BRPJV) consisting of Grinaker-LTA, Group 5 Construction, WBHO Construction and Western Cape Empowerment Contractors (WCEC);

* Odebrecht, Basil Read and CECCON (OBRC) consisting of Cbpo Engenharia, Basil Read and Consortium of Emerging Civil Contractors (CECCON).

The dam is situated in the upper reaches of the Berg River, five kilometres west of Franschhoek and will be 60m high with a reservoir storage capacity of 130 million cubic meters.

According to David Keyser, project engineer of TCTA, the construction of the dam is subject to the adherence to strict environmental requirements and compliance monitoring will be done through the Environmental Management Committee (EMC), including local stakeholders.

The function of the EMC, which meets today at 13:00 in die Franschhoek NG church hall,  is to monitor the implementation of the Project in accordance with environmental approvals.

"The construction joint ventures are required to include the participation of Black Enterpriseto a level of at least twenty percent," emphasised Martie Janse van Rensburg, Chief Executive Officer of TCTA. Further socio-economic targets include preferential employment of local residents, as well as procurement targets from designated groups are a pre-requisite.

The award of the contract is scheduled for 30 April to enable the commencement of construction on 1 June, with a duration period of three  years.