April 2009

By Kagiso Metswamere

Atamelang - Over 200 families in Atamelang near Delarayville have received housing title deeds, thanks to government's housing discount benefit scheme.

The North West Housing Cooperation (NWHC) on Monday awarded 251 housing title deeds worth R190 million to residents who have been living in these houses.

Speaking during the handing over ceremony, Chief Executive Officer of the NWHC, Tshepiso Letselela said the title deeds were handed over to residents who have been denied the opportunity to own the houses previously.

"We are giving these houses to families who have been living in these houses which belong to the cooperation but inherited from the previous government.

"These people have tried to apply for the title deeds to own these houses but their efforts were unsuccessful because previously disadvantaged people were denied the opportunity to own houses," he said.

He further indicated that title deeds will also be given to the families who are unable to pay their debts because they are unemployed.

By Bathandwa Mbola

Pretoria - The South African National Taxi Council, Santaco, says it will ask government for a larger stake in the control of the integrated Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.

The taxi body has finalised its proposal for taxi operators to have more ownership of the practical aspects of the BRT.

Briefing the media ahead of the BRT summit to be held on Monday in Midrand, Santaco Secretary General Philip Taaibosch said "it will make logical business sense if the taxi industry would own the BRT project and its entire value chain."

Mr Taaibosch reiterated the taxi council's stance that it "can't accept the BRT in its current form. He said if government remained rigidly resistant to succumb to their proposal then a national taxi strike would be rolled out.

Meanwhile, government yesterday re-affirmed its commitment to build an integrated public transport system for the benefit of all South Africans.

Government spokesperson, Themba Maseko said government will continue to work with all stakeholders.

World Habitat Awards 2009 - call for entries!

The Building and Social Housing Foundation is currently seeking entries for the 2009 World Habitat Awards competition. Established in 1985, the World Habitat Awards recognise innovative and sustainable housing and habitat projects worldwide, which are capable of being transferred to other contexts.

Two awards are given annually, one to a housing project from the North and one from the global South.

Entries are assessed by a panel of international judges and an award of £10,000 is presented to the two winning projects at the annual United Nations global celebration of World Habitat Day.

By Neo Semono

Cape Town – PetroSA has appointed a consortium of local and international legal firms to advise them on Project Mthombo, a billion dollar crude oil refinery, to be built in Coega in Port Elizabeth.

“The consortium consists of three South African firms - Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs, Mkhabela Huntley Adekeye Inc and Qunta Inc - and two international partners, UK-based law firm Clifford Chance, and Nixon Peabody of the US,” PetroSA said.

Together they have formed the ENS-led Consortium that would for the next few years perform a vast array of legal advisory tasks for PetroSA on the 400 000 barrels a day, US$9-11 billion crude oil refinery.

According to Head of PetroSA legal services Owen Tobias, the appointment of the consortium is recognition of their confidence in a South African-led consortium with significant BBBEE participation to provide world class legal advisory services.

“At PetroSA we are quite pleased about the prospect of working with such an accomplished, eclectic team of legal counsel.

“They are a formidable group with a proven track-record in complex projects both locally and internationally,” said Mr Tobias.

Luanda - Angolan construction company "Angospencer" will implement, this year, an innovating method for the construction of 20 houses/daily, in an investment estimated at USD 20 million.

According to the firm's chairperson, Carlos Gomes, the project will be supported by an Italian high technology system, which is well known in the markets of the United States of America, England and Portugal.

He said that the houses, whose duration and resistance are unquestionable, are estimated at USD 50,000 and is meant to serve all sectors of the social sphere, since the project aims at reducing the country's housing shortages and meet the government's goal of building one million residences in four years.

The project will be implemented nationwide and generate 200 direct jobs.

ANGOP