CornubiaCELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF BUILDING DREAMS

Department of Human Sett lements: Call Centre: 0800 146 873 • Report Fraud and Corrupti on: 0800 701 701 • Presidenti al Hotline: 17737 • Email: info@dhs.gov.za • www.dhs.gov.za

Physical Address: 240 Justi ce Mahomed Street, Govan Mbeki House, Sunnyside, 0002. Postal Address: Private Bag X644, Pretoria, 0001.

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ContentsMESSAGES 03 • BACKGROUND 07 • Beneficiaries 15 • TECHNICAL INFORMATION 25 • Gallery 41

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message from minister of Human Settlements, connie september, mpmessage from minister of Human Settlements, connie september, mp

We have a good story to tell….

Over the past 20 years, we have housed over 12 million of our citizens. The story continues as we seek to reverse pre-1994 structural so-cial engineering and underdevelopment that left vast numbers of our people living in inhu-man conditions.

Today, we add another chapter to our good story….

In what could be a blueprint for future collabora-tions all three spheres of government and the private sector has shown what can be achieved if we have the interest of our communities at heart.

The National Department of Human Settle-ments in partnership with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements, the eThe-kwini Metro and Tongaat Hulett Development is proud to unveil one of the fl agship housing programmes, Cornubia.

Located within the Northern Corridor of Durban in the Municipality of eThekwini and approxi-mately 25km from the Durban CBD, Cornubia is a mixed income group initiative.

This is delivery on an unprecedented scale. The project will yield 28 000 homes as well as industrial, commercial and open spaces that can be developed on 1 300 hectares of land over a period of 15-25 years. Of these, 15 000 will be subsidised units.

Projects such as Cornubia offer a vital glimpse of a future society where different income groups reside in the same development. This is part of government’s commitment to undo apartheid spatial planning which served to con-sign people to designated areas.

I wish to thank President Zuma for challeng-ing us to massify our human settlements pro-grammes by making Cornubia a Presidential Project.

Together we are moving South Africa forward.

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message from MAYOR OF eThekwini municipality, cllr james nxumalo message from MAYOR OF eThekwini municipality, cllr james nxumalo

Congratulations to benefi ciaries

I wish to congratulate the 482 families who have become the fi rst benefi ciaries to receive homes at the Cornubia Human Settlements Project. This is indeed a proud moment, not only for these families whose lives have been dramatically changed for the better, but for all of us in eThekwini. I was amongst the fi rst people who came to receive the fi rst group of families when they were settled here late last year and

it was exciting to witness scenes of jubilation, smiles and disbelief that they had fi nally left the squalor conditions in informal settlements to live in one of the best constructed housing projects.

The list of benefi ciaries for this project demon-strates a clear agenda of achieving integration and creating a socially cohesive community, with families from different racial groups occu-pying the new blocks of fl ats. The later phases of the project will also ensure that we eliminate the income divide, with people from low income brackets living in close proximity to their more affl uent and upmarket neighbours.

The completion of Phase 1A of the project marks a signifi cant milestone in cementing government’scommitment to deliver quality hu-man settlements for our people. The Cornubia project is setting the agenda for other future developments as a sustainable mixed use and mixed income development where people will

be able to live, play, work as well as enjoy and share social amenities. For the City of eThek-wini, Cornubia is set to be a catalyst project that will unlock development in the northern corridor linking to the King Shaka International Airport and the Dube Tradeport. It is encouraging that the adjacent industrial sites that will provide job opportunities for the local community are being taken up by the private sector.

This project gives a good indication of how cooperation between all spheres of govern-ment and the private sector could achieve great things for South Africa. We wish to thank Tongaat Hulett for setting a good example for other private sector players to work closely with government in creating opportunities for our people; in that way contributing positively to further enhancing our democracy. We still need more projects like Cornubia in order to address the housing backlog.

This is indeed a good story to tell!

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Twenty-years into our democracy, a new development in the North-ern Corridor of Ethekwini presents an opportunity to get rid of the racial segregation and apartheid spatial planning that hindered economic inclusion and growth capabilities.

BackgroundBackground

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Just off the N2 highway, north of the City of Durban lies Cornubia, one of South Africa’s ground-breaking human settlements projects that is set to change the country’s social and economic landscape forever.

Cornubia is an Integrated Human Settlements Development, fi rst conceptualised within the National Department of Human Settlements’ Breaking New Ground (BNG) programme. The initiative is a classical expression of a true partnership between the Public & Private Sectors.

Cornubia is a joint venture development between the National Department of Human Settlements, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements, eThekwini Municipality and Tongaat Hulett Development, is set to be eThekwini’s largest sustainable integrated human settlement initiative.

The fi rst phase of 482 housing units has been completed and saw the fi rst group of benefi ciaries taking occupancy of their units in November and December 2013. This marked the infancy of this mega residential and business settlement

edged on the hill sides of the Mt Edgecombe, Phoenix, Ottawa and Waterloo areas. It is easily accessible from the N2, R102 and M41 freeways, and is a stone-throw from Umhlanga and Durban’s shopping mecca, Gateway.

The Cornubia Development will contribute to the integration of the City and seeks to end the legacy of spatial and economic imbalances of historical planning by bringing communities close to job opportunities, social amenities, ma-jor services and public transport. It embraces all aspects of human settlements and the natural, social and economic environments. This new development is situated on 1 300ha of land which is currently the sugarcane plantations that belonged to Tongaat Hulett before the company sold the land to Government.

The land is strategically situated and is an at-tractive new residential development for both owners and tenants. Phase 1 will deliver ap-poximately 2 670 BNG units and it is intended that Phase 2 will deliver a range of housing ty-pologies – double-storey, semi-detached, row, duplex, 3-4 storey walk-ups and apartments in a village type environment, catering for a range of income groups.

The housing project is being developed along the principles of ‘breaking new ground’ and to promote the achievement of non-racial, integrated society through the development of a sustainable, integrated human settlement with associated economic opportunities for the citizens of eThekwini Municipality.

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This mixed race and mixed income development will among other features include:

• The provision of 15 000 subsidised or low income houses.• Substantial provisions for schools, clinics and amenities such as state of the art public

transport infrastructure.• Once entirely complete the development is proposed to provide about 28 000 homes catering

for a wide range of income levels.• The total expected investment value on buildings and infrastructure development is expected

to exceed R25 billion.• Development is expected to last between 15 and 25 years.• This is envisaged to create at least 48 000 permanent jobs while another 15 000 job

opportunities are expected to be created during the construction phases.• About R300-million per annum is expected to be generated from rates revenue.• And two Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) routes linking Cornubia, Umhlanga and the nearby

township of Phoenix are planned.• The BRT routes will also link the area to the Dube Trade Port and the King Shaka International

Airport about 7km north.• Environment-friendly and eco-sensitive Industrial and Business parks are also part of the plan.• The industrial and business parks are earmarked to sit on a 210ha space to cater for

warehousing, logistics and service-oriented businesses.• There will also be offi ce space on another 114ha of land.

the entire development has an estimated construction value of R25 billion over a period of approximately 25 years.

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The development is planned in partnership with the National Department of Human Settle-ments, eThekwini Metropolitan and sugar con-glomerate, Tongaat Hulett.

Its planning is based on the Government’s prin-ciple of sustainable development with higher densities, and massive infrastructure upgrade.

Cornubia is part of the democratic govern-ment’s response to lessons learnt since 1994 in regard to housing delivery. It is the culmination of a number of policy and legislative changes that have been made in a bid to tackle South Africa’s housing backlog.

It marks the beginning of the realisation of Gov-ernment’s intention to position South Africa on the path of sustainable development, inclusiv-ity, spatial integration and transformation of the space economy.

The project is an integrated human settlement which aims to effectively eradicate a signifi cant number of the informal settle-ments across various areas in ethekwini, targeting the most vulnerable of persons.

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New residents praise the beauty of their new dwellings with most feeling they are living a dream life that they had never thought of.

BeneficiariesBeneficiaries

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Lucy Xaba (66) moved to her new home in November 2013 after spending fi ve years on a waiting camp called Lindela near Waybank in Clermont, one of Durban’s western town-ships. Xaba, a pensioner, lives alone in her new home, but her daughter, at times visits her. Getting the new house marks the end of a long struggle of suffering for her since her husband, a construction worker died in December 1985. Xaba, originally from KwaSwayimane in Pieter-maritzburg, had to raise her children alone, and made her living by selling wild potatoes. “I have never been so happy like I am right now. Life has been tough for me since the death of my husband. I had to make a living to raise the chil-dren but I am happy today that all my sufferings have ended. I never expected to live in a place like this.”

At the moment, Xaba wishes to fi nd an extra job to supplement her pension income. She points out that her daughter too also needs a job in order for her to be able to assist with house-hold expenses. “If she has a job, life would be smooth for us because we are not a big family,” adds Xaba while busy in their kitchen preparing their supper.

LUCY XABALUCY XABA“I have never been so happy like I am right now. Life has been tough for me since the death of my husband. I had to make a living to raise the children but I am happy today that all my sufferings have ended.”

unit 157

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For Inderlal Mothilal (51) and his 49-year-old wife, Mominbibi, having a new home in Cornu-bia is like a return to the promised land. They both grew up in the farming communities near-by. “We spent most of our time at Blackburn Village, also known as Choppers, on the other side near Isibaya Casino,” says Mominbibi.

“It is much better here. And we are grateful to Tata Nelson Mandela that we are fi nally getting to live in a place like this,” she says.

The couple is sharing their fl at with two chil-dren, one a college graduate still looking for a job while another is in matric at Phoenix High nearby. Mothilal is currently helping in the new community by running a tuckshop where people can buy basics like milk, tea and bread while awaiting the construction of shopping centres and stores as part of the precinct. Inderlal is grateful of the little income this brings into the house but points out that a lot of the goods that he sells are minimal profi t products which he stocks just to render a service to the commu-nity. Both him and his wife are unemployed and have fi nancial obligations such as paying R400 monthly for their sons transport to school.

INDERLAL & INDERLAL & MOMINBIBI MOMINBIBI MOTHILALMOTHILAL

“It is much better here. And we are grateful to Tata Nelson Mandela that we are fi nally getting to live in a place like this.”

unit 45

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Anita Mangena (22) shares a new home with her mother-in-law, Zodwa Sondo, who is the owner of unit 49. They are from Clermont town-ship, where they spent more than fi ve years at a campside designed for people who were on the housing waiting list. Because Sondo is a domestic worker, she only comes back to the house twice a week on Wednesdays and Satur-days just to check on her grandchildren. “This is a lovely place and we are grateful of it. The only thing we are asking for now is a job opportunity so that we can pay our rates. We are told that the crèches and schools will be built soon, and that will make our lives better.”

She lives in the place with her two daughters while their father Alex is still in Clermont town-ship and comes to Cornubia on weekends. “He is unemployed, so Clermont is convenient be-cause he is not required to spend a lot money when going to look for work,” explains Man-gena. “That is another problem we have here, most of us are not working, but we keep hoping that we will fi nd some work as the development continues.

ANITA ANITA MANGENAMANGENA

unit 49“This is a lovely place and we are grateful for it...We are told that the crèches and schools will be built soon, and that will make our lives better.”

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James Muthia (66) and his wife Sally (63) live in house number 169 in the completed section of Cornubia. They hail from Blackburn Village, an old slum not far from the riches of Umhlanga and Gateway. The couple has been married for 46 years but this is their fi rst house. “It’s lovely here and we like it here. It is normal here com-pared to where we come from. My husband was always sick there but since we came here, he’s been fi ne,” says Sally, who went to school in the area while growing up as a child of a farm labourer. “In those days, Standard Six was the last class you could reach,” says Sally looking at her husband who was reading one of the lo-cal weekend papers in which the Muthias made it into the news pages as various media or-ganisaitions descended on Cornubia to report on the inhabitants. The couple has four chil-dren. James points out that some of them are at Blackburn Village and they too, are hoping that they will fi nd something in Cornubia as the area continues to grow. The Muthias have been in Cornubia for a short time, but their garden is now one of the most beautiful in the area. James says this refl ects the family’s happiness about their new place. “Now we have some-thing that makes us proud,” says James.

JAMES & JAMES & SALLY MUTHIASALLY MUTHIA

“It’s lovely here and we like it here. It is normal here compared to where we come from. My husband was always sick there but since we came here, he’s been fi ne.”

unit 169

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For a truly integrated human settlement development to be realised, a partnership with the private sector is critical.

TECHNICAL INFORMATIONTECHNICAL INFORMATION

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PRIVATE / PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPFor a truly integrated human settlement devel-opment to be realised, a partnership with the private sector is critical. The three spheres of government are responsible for the delivery of low cost housing, social and the gap mar-ket housing opportunities as well as the full spectrum of social amenities, and bulk services whilst the private sector partner delivers on the economic opportunities of retail and industrial and the gap as well as the open market middle income housing opportunities in the retail and industrial parks.

LOCATIONThe Cornubia is located within the Northern Corridor of Durban within the Municipality of eThekwini, approximately 25km from the Dur-ban CBD and sits adjacent to the economic and investment nodes of uMhlanga in the east, Mount Edgecombe in the south, Ottawa and Phoenix in the west and Waterloo in the north. It is bordered by the N2 freeway, M41 arterial and the Ohlanga River, 7km south of the new King Shaka International Airport.

DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLEThe housing project is being developed along the principles of ‘breaking new ground’ and to promote the achievement of a non-racial, in-tegrated society through the development of a sustainable, integrated human settlement with associated economic opportunities for the citizens of eThekwini Municipality. BNG’s stra-tegic focus includes ensuring the delivery of af-fordable housing in sustainable and habitable settlements. Its strategic priorities are to accel-erate housing delivery; improve the quality of housing products and environments to ensure asset creation; restructure and integrate human settlements. More importantly, key focus areas identifi ed by the plan include:• Accelerating housing delivery as a key

strategy for poverty alleviation;• Using housing provision as a major job-

creation strategy;• Ensuring that property can be accessed

by all as an asset for wealth creation and empowerment;

• Leveraging growth in the economy, com-bating crime and promoting social cohe-sion;

• Using housing as an instrument for the development of sustainable human set-tlements in support of spatial restructuring

The project is an integrated human settlement which aims to effectively eradicate a signifi cant number of the informal settlements across the municipality. The households earmarked for relocation to Cornubia are selected on pre-defi ned criteria that includes, people residing in river fl ood plains, unstable land, in the way of current and medium term development, child headed households, disabled persons, women headed household, aged persons, eradication of complete settlements amongst other criteria as approved by the Municipality and Province.

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PROJECT YIELDThe project area has a potential yield of 28 000 residential units and will be developed in phas-es. 15 000 subsidised units will be provided, and the balance will be a various types of hous-ing opportunities and forms of tenure which will cater for different income groups while meeting the objectives of inclusionary housing.

CORNUBIA INDUSTRIAL AND BUSINESS ESTATE (CIBE)Construction is progressing well at CIBE – a Tongaat Hulett development, which has seen 63ha sold since March 2012, and which leaves only 17ha available for sale. To date there are 2 light industry factories complete with 4 due for completion early in 2015. This business park is a light industry zone and has some major in-dustry leaders take ownership of this prestig-ious development opportunity. The landholding situated within a precinct that is strategically located in terms of labour market and trans-portation networks like road and air making this industrial park a sought after destination for in-dustry leaders.

CORNUBIA OFFICE AND RETAIL PARKThe Cornubia Retail Park is being developed on a landholdings adjacent to the N2 and the M41 corridor by Tongaat Hulett Developments and will be accessed off Flanders Drive. This precinct will provide 100 000 m2 of retail bulk as well as over 64 000 m2 of offi ce bulk, and is developed to complement the existing nodes of uMhlanga and Crescent developments. Lead-ing retail outlets have shown keen interest in these precincts.

This node will provide over 24 000 short-term construction jobs and approx. 4 000 new direct jobs.

MARSHALL DAM AFFORDABLE HOUSINGThis precinct will deliver approximately 1 000 affordable housing units over a 3 year period from 2016. It will involve a private developer/contractor as well as a banking institution. The units will be developed as 2, 3 and 4 storey walkups in a series of subphases or precincts, all with their own Body Corporates. The target market will be those that can afford mortgages from traditional banks falling in the range of LSM 7-9. Although planned for much later (ie 2018), another precinct also focusing on the LSM7-10 target market will come on line, de-livering over 3 500 units. This precinct will be referred to as Umhlanga Hills and will be driven by Tongaat Hulett Developments.

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SPECIFICATIONS AND LEVEL OF SERVICES FOR PHASE 1

The levels of service are as follows:

Top structure 50 m², Double Storey –Terraced Row Housing, (creating a fi ne grain walk able residential pre-cinct structured around courtyards and a well defi ned street as a basis for building a sense of community).

Social AmenitiesTwo clusters comprising two primary schools, one secondary school and a multipurpose hall catering to sporting and other social events.

Retail zone is at the fi nal stage of design for the provision of a series of vendor opportunities for local entrepreneurs. These facilities will cater to the daily needs of the residents, whilst the new Retail Park to be developed by the private sec-tor partner will cater to the more bulk purchases to be created in the form of a shopping mall.

Emergency ServicesPolicing is being provided by the Phoenix Po-lice Station by means of regular visible policing of the area.

Health services in the interim are being provid-ed by mobile clinics, and for the long terms per-manent facilities will be provided as the popula-tion increases making these facilities feasible.

OVERALL BULK SERVICES FOR PROJECT

The total bulk anticipated for the overall devel-opment is 3,7 million/m2 split in the following manner:

• 1,7 million m2 for Residential (46%)• 1,2 million m2 for Commercial (32%)• 0,8 million m2 for Light Industrial (22%)

Retail zone is at the final stage of design for the provision of a series of vendor opportunities for local entrepreneurs.

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PROGRESS TO DATE (APRIL 2014)

• Land for Phase 1 and 2 of development has been secured;

• The program for Phase 1A is to have all 482 houses fully serviced and occupied by the end of March 2014.

• Interim retail facilities to provide the residents with their daily needs will be provided in March 2014 as well as arrangements to transport scholars to neighbouring schools will be available in April 2014.

• Phase 1B construction commenced in November 2013 and is on program to be completed by April 2015. Phase 1B will see 13 main contractors delivering fully serviced houses within 16 months at a cost of R 533 million. The civil engineering component of Phase 1B is awarded and the construction has commenced. The tender for the top structure construction has closed and ten contractors will be awarded the works during April/May 2014. The contractors will be from small, medium to large categories as defi ned by the CIDB grading register.

• On the periphery of Phase 2 is the existing informal settlement of Blackburn. The plan is to integrate this existing settlement into Phase 2, seamlessly but to be undertaken separately due to the land procurement process not being fi nalised and a separate EIA to be conducted.

• The industrial precinct will be completed by 2018.

• The retail park implementation will be commence by April 2014 in re-spect of mass earthworks and building construction will commence in June 2015.

• Approximately 1 000 affordable housing units will be developed in the area around Marshall Dam adjacent to Phase 1B, from 2016 over a period of 2-3 years. This will be private sector and market driven.

• Tongaat Hulett is also in the process of positioning and branding another 70ha gross area adjacent to the Retail Park as an affordable lifestyle estate making provision for approximately 3 500 affordable and middle income housing units. It is anticipated that construction could commence in 2018.

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PROJECT FINANCIALSFunding for the project is sourced from Government (USDG, HSDG and sector departments) and the private sector, and is expected to be utilised as follows:

DEVELOPMENT COSTS OF THE PROJECT

Phase 1A cost is R102 millionPhase 1B cost is R533 million

The following pie chart illustrates how the investment to be made based on the various land holdings.

ILLUSTRATION 1: POTENTIAL INVESTMENT INTO THE CORNUBIA PROJECT

ANTICIPATED INCOME

Rates: R237 million per annumVAT: R1.5 billionTAX: Payroll – R435 million / Company – R1 billion

Land holdings Anticipated quantum of contributions

eThekwini owned land R10,4 billionTongaat Hulett owned land R14,3 billionSouth African Sugar Association (SASA) owned land

R1.1 billion

TOTAL R 25,8 billion

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KEY BENEFITS

• The project is part of the City’s restructur-ing zone, which includes regional integra-tion and the development of the Northern Urban Development Corridor (NUDC);

• It will facilitate the unlocking of Cornubia North and the NUDC activity corridor to the airport, as well as providing an op-portunity to link impoverished areas to the more upmarket and affl uent ones;

• The project provides an opportunity for a public-private partnership (PPP) between the eThekwini Municipality and Tongaat Hulett Developments, which will result in a cost sharing arrangement of services be-ing provided;

• It will ensure that a complete and live-able environment is created within which a range of economic and social opportu-nities are integrated with the provision of housing;

• It will contribute to the integration of the City and overcome the legacy of spatial and economic imbalances of historical planning by bringing communities close to job opportunities, social amenities, major services and public transport, while em-bracing all aspects of human settlement and the natural, social and economic en-vironments;

• The project is planned where possible, to coincide with the delivery of housing projects, economic, social and recrea-tional facilities;

• The schools and recreational facilities are designed to be accessible within a short walk from housing developments;

• The streets are designed to be pedestrian friendly and to include cycle lanes where possible in order to create a balanced community and an integrated human set-tlement.

The schools and recreational facilities are designed to be accessible within a short walk from housing developments

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

• The entire development is expected to create approximately 48 000 new sustain-able jobs and 15 000 job opportunities over the 15-25 year period. The project’s close proximity to the new King Shaka In-ternational Airport increases employment opportunities for the project benefi ciaries. The abovementioned satisfy the Compre-hensive Plan’s objective of “utilising pro-vision of housing as a major job creation strategy”;

• To date 57% of those employed are youth and 20% are women;

• Included in the estimated 48 000 new sustainable jobs are, approximately 7 000 new and permanent jobs that will be cre-ated in the adjacent CIBE;

• Demographic profi ling of benefi ciaries in-dicate low skills base, thus limited capac-ity to participate in job opportunities during and post construction;

• A structured intervention focusing on ben-efi ciaries and Blackburn Village informal settlement located inside Cornubia, to facilitate workforce preparation, jobs link, food security gardens, open space man-agement programmes, waste recycling and SMME incubation to ease of access to opportunities has been established.

Included in the estimated 43 000 new sustainable jobs are, approximately 7 000 new and permanent jobs that will be created in the adjacent CIBE.

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CORNUBIA: ANOTHER HUMAN SETTLEMENTS PROJECT

GALLERYGALLERY

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Content compiled by Thokozani Mtshali and Xolani XunduAdditi onal informati on provided by Sanjay SathnarayanPictures taken by Thulani HlopheDesign and Layout by Shalen Gajadhar

Copyright 2014All rights reserved Published by Chief Directorate: Communicati on Services, Department of Human Sett lements, Pretoria. 2014