BUFFALO City has committed itself to saving the Club View housing development, which has been having troubles since 2006.

Problems plaguing the project have included poor supervision and delivery, poor construction of houses and poor road construction. Executive Mayor Zukisa Faku and the acting municipal manager, Lulama Zitha, together saw a need for intervention in the project until the problems have been resolved.

Speaking at the launch of the newly rectified housing development at Club View Extension 30 on Thursday, 1 July, the general manager for the inland region, Wongezile Goba, said: "The project was implemented to help middle income earners and [was] set to be finished by the end of 2006."

However, the contractor could not meet the target and left most of the houses unfinished and without adequate services, including municipal services. The houses were not constructed according to plan; poor material was used; and in most cases rubble was used for standard construction materials and finishes.

Because of poor road construction, most of the houses were inaccessible.

Goba added that after some of the houses were completed, many residents were unable to move into their homes. They refused to begin paying their bond instalments to Absa and other banks that had financed the project.

"Rather than abandoning the project leaving our residents homeless, we sought a solution that would make the development suitable for habitation while saving our principal investor's investment," said Zitha.

"The result of the solution includes a public-private partnership between Buffalo City and Absa bank in which the City provides basic municipal services and road access to the Club View development while Absa will assess each unit and repair it to the standard envisaged in the original plans."

She explained: "This will ensure that residents receive the housing that they pay for while Absa bank will see its investment retain its value and grow in value over time."

Faku agreed: "It was the committed involvement of our stakeholders that led to this amicable solution to the problems that have been a source of frustration to the homeowners of Club View."

Speaking on behalf of the residents of Club View, Bismak Thwaku said the community was grateful finally to have their houses restored and all basic municipal services that had been brought to them.

"We want to assure the City that we will keep our yards and area clean and up to standard in honour of the great work they have done for us."