1. a) The National Department of Public Works is the custodian of the Jonkershoek Forest Reserve Farm 352 and the unregistered portion 4 also known as “Op-die-Bult Jonkershoek”
(b) The National Department of Public Works is currently negotiating with the Stellenbosch Municipality to assume responsibility for the human settlement of former forest workers by means of the disposal of the property to that municipality.
(2) No, currently there are no funds available for the maintenance of the general infrastructure and houses of the settlement, hence negotiations with the
Stellenbosch Municipality to assume responsibility for the settlement.
(3) (a) 18 formal structures have been confirmed at Op-die-Bult, with 123 households recorded in the broader Jonkerhoek Mixed Use Precinct. These
figures are from the time when the property was returned to Department by the South African Forestry Company Limited (SAFCOL) acting on behalf of
the then Department of Water Affairs and Forestry.
(b) (i) No funds have been spent on the infrastructure
(b) (ii) No funds have been spent on the houses
(4) (a) The Department is currently negotiating with the Stellenbosch municipalityto take over the properties together with their inhabitants as it is best-placed to provide appropriate standards of human settlement
(b) Yes, it is envisaged that the Department will hand over the properties to the Stellenbosch Municipality for management of the human settlement according to prescribed standards.
(5) The National Department of Public Works aims to transfer the land to the Stellenbosch Municipality. Other relevant Departments e.g. Department of
Human Settlements, COGTA, Department of Rural Development etc. will then be drawn in as an intergovernmental team to assist with housing and
infrastructure in formalising the settlement in terms of their core function.