The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) kept the pressure on the Mbombela Local Municipality’s Portfolio Committee on Urban Planning and Development to table the long-awaited final policy on student housing to the Council. Executive Mayor Sibongile Makushe-Mazibuko has, however, postponed the policy.
This policy is crucial, as the demand for housing near institutions such as the University of Mpumalanga, the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and various TVET colleges continues to increase.
Seeing as Nelspruit and surrounds will soon have to accommodate around 8 000 students, many operators sprang into action without approved building plans or municipal consent.
Consequently, tensions arose in neighbourhoods where unauthorised, unregistered student housing complexes are now operated and by-laws regarding noise and littering are frequently violated.
While the Freedom Front Plus endorses the finalised policy, the party wishes to express its concerns regarding the following issues:
• the close proximity of student housing to residential properties;
• the pressure that an additional 8 000 residents will put on the Municipality’s water and sewerage infrastructure; and
• the need for strictly enforcing by-laws regarding noise, zoning, littering and parking.
Facilities that do not comply with the applicable regulations should be ordered to shut down operations at once.
Despite concerns about the capacity of the existing infrastructure, the Freedom Front Plus does support the final policy, as it may stimulate private investment and promote local economic growth – provided it is properly regulated and enforced.
Finalising the policy would ensure that the relevant by-laws can be effectively implemented and enforced.
At present, it is difficult to enforce the relevant regulations, seeing as the Department of Urban Planning and Development first needs to fill critical vacancies for building inspectors to ensure that both existing and future student housing inspections are properly conducted.
The Freedom Front Plus wants to issue a clear warning: Serious problems will arise if the student housing policy and relevant planning are not finalised well before the housing demand skyrockets.
