Kanku Road Housing Project: A Step Toward Dignified Living for Isipingo Residents

*Location:** Kanku Road, Ward 90, Isipingo, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal
*Budget:** R70 million – R170 million
*Date of Start:** June 1, 2020
*Date of Handover:** June 28, 2023
*Units Completed:** 360 semi-detached homes
*Beneficiaries:** Families from Isipingo Transit Camp (displaced during the 2010 FIFA World Cup and subsequent natural disasters)

Key Events & Dates:

*March 2020:** The eThekwini Municipality officially launched the Kanku Road Housing Project, aiming to build 360 semi-detached, double-storey homes with full services for residents of the Isipingo Transit Camp. This project was part of an effort to provide better housing for those living in temporary camps since the 2010 World Cup and later displaced by floods.
*June 1, 2020:** Construction commenced, starting with infrastructure works such as water systems, roads, and sewage.
*February 2021:** Progress was slowed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and protests from residents frustrated by delays.
*March 9, 2023:** Of the 360 planned homes, 147 were completed. Full completion was expected by June 2023.
*June 28, 2023:** Official handover of the homes to families, with 360 units completed. The handover ceremony was attended by national, provincial, and municipal officials, including Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi and eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda.
*August 2023:** Some families entered homes before official municipal approval, claiming rightful status as beneficiaries, sparking tensions and protests.
*April 2025:** Issues with sewage overflow and sinkholes in the area were reported, causing dissatisfaction among residents and ratepayers.

Project Stakeholders:

*eThekwini Municipality**: Lead organization responsible for the project’s planning and execution.
*Project Preparation Trust (PPT)**: Assisted with planning and infrastructure setup.
*National and Provincial Government**: Supported through funding and policy direction.
*Beneficiaries**: Displaced families from Isipingo Transit Camp, many of whom had been living in temporary conditions since 2010.

Issues & Challenges:

*Delays**: Initial delays due to COVID-19 and a slow start with infrastructure construction.
*Verification and Occupancy**: Tensions arose in 2023 when some families occupied homes without final municipal verification, leading to protests.*Service Delivery**: Complaints of sewage system failure and sinkholes arose in 2025, further frustrating residents and ratepayers.

Conclusion:

The Kanku Road Housing Project represents a significant effort to provide permanent housing to displaced residents of Isipingo. While the project has faced delays and service delivery issues, the completed homes offer a step toward addressing long-standing housing needs in the area. Moving forward, addressing service issues and ensuring proper allocation processes will be crucial to the project’s ongoing success.

The closure of the Newcastle furnace will result in the loss of over 1 300 direct jobs, with an estimated 2 200 indirect jobs at risk in the surrounding communities. This will exacerbate the already dire unemployment situation in South Africa, particularly in the rural areas where job opportunities are scarce. The economic spin-offs of the closure will be felt far and wide, with local businesses, suppliers, and service providers also facing financial ruin.


Play Video

The steel industry is a critical component of South Africa's economy, and the closure of the Newcastle furnace will have a ripple effect throughout the sector. The motor manufacturing industry, which relies heavily on locally produced steel, will be severely impacted, threatening the very existence of this critical sector. The consequences of this closure will be felt for generations to come, as the skills and expertise developed over decades are lost forever.

The threatened closure of Amsa’s Newcastle Furnace repeats a similar crisis when Amsa did likewise with its Saldanha Bay operations five years ago. Amsa’s possible exit would have similar catastrophic effects for its plants in Richard’s Bay and Vereeniging.

With a 41.09% unemployment rate, GDP growth barely breaking 1% and years of devastating de-industrialisation; this would be a blow we simply cannot afford.

The Department of Transport successfully launched the 8th United Nations Global Road Safety Week on Sunday, 11 May 2025, at Soldiers Way CBD Taxi Rank in Durban, KwaZuluNatal. The event, held under the theme “Make Walking and Cycling Safe,” focused on raising awareness about the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.
The Deputy Minister of Transport, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, is actively participating in the UN’s Global Road Safety Campaign, which runs from Sunday, 11 May to Friday, 16 May 2025 in Durban.

As part of the campaign, this event at the taxi rank was aimed to educate taxi drivers and commuters on the importance of road safety when using public transport. The Deputy Minister was joined by officials from the Provincial Department of Transport, eThekwini MMC for Transport, Human Settlements and Engineering, Councillor Themba Mvubu, law enforcement officials, and representatives from various civil society organizations, including SANTACO and various stakeholders.

The launch marked the start of a week-long series of activities held in line with the global UN Road Safety Week, observed from 12 to 18 May 2025

Midlands EMS spokesperson, Ronald Robertson, said they were alerted to the incident, and an advanced life support team was dispatched to the scene to provide urgent medical assistance.



"On arrival, our team found one person who had sustained serious injuries and was in critical condition. Immediate advanced life support treatment was initiated to stabilise the patient," Robertson said.

He said rescue teams had to use specialised rescue equipment to ensure safe and effective care in a challenging environment.

After stabilisation at the scene, the patient was transported to a local trauma hospital for further treatment, Robertson said the patient was taken to a local trauma hospital for further treatment.

In a separate incident, also involving an animal, a young child was seriously injured while out horse riding.

Robertson said emergency teams raced to the scene in Howick, also in the KZN Midlands on Monday afternoon to find the injured child.

"Upon arrival, it was determined that a child had sustained serious injuries and required urgent advanced life support treatment.


"The child was stabilized on scene using specialised rescue equipment before being transported to a nearby hospital for further care," Robertson said.

seanne.rall@iol.co.za