The executive mayor of Ekurhuleni, Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, says the city will be handing over 800 houses to first time homeowners by the end of June this year.
Xhakaza also revealed efforts are intensifying to upgrade informal settlements, including Mgongo informal settlement in Brakpan, through a re-blocking programme.
“Since the beginning of our term of office in April 2024, the city has delivered 2 980 houses, and we are finishing the construction of 839 more houses, which should be ready in June.
“We understand the growing need for proper housing for many of our people,” Xhakaza said.
He adds that the John Dube Mega Housing Project continues to make steady progress, with the completion of 295 units, alongside 172 units in Chief Albert Luthuli and 68 units in Helderwyk.
“Taken together, these interventions reflect a municipality that is not only planning but delivering systematically to restore the dignity, expand access, and build sustainable human settlements for our communities,” he said.
Almost a month ago, Xhakaza, together with the Premier of Gauteng, Panyaza Lesufi, and MMC of Human Settlements, Nsizwa Mekgwe, handed over 188 walk-up units in Chief Albert Luthuli and 144 units in the Clayville Mega Project.
A number of serviced sites were also distributed to qualifying residents in Etwatwa to enable them to build their own houses.
From April 2024 to date, the city has handed out over 2 890 serviced stands. Hala says they are getting ready to hand over another 300 by the end of June.
“We are also intensifying efforts to upgrade informal settlements through our re-blocking programme, which has, over the years, seen thousands of our people gaining much-needed access to critical basic municipal services.
“This time our attention will be on re-blocking of Mgongo Informal Settlement in Brakpan by June, covering 1 030 units. This will significantly improve spatial planning, access to services, and the overall living conditions for residents,” he explained.
Xhakaza also said the Gauteng Provincial Government procured 200 hectares of land for development for the people of Makause Informal Settlement in Germiston.
Currently, the provincial government is in the process of transferring and registering the property to the City of Ekurhuleni.
“On the issue of security of tenure, the city has made great strides, distributing 1 220 title deeds since 2024, and a further 800 will be handed out by the end of this financial year.
“Despite this, though, the city remains in possession of 13 177 tittle deeds due mainly to family disputes and untraceable beneficiaries,” Xhakaza said.
The CoE appeals to beneficiaries to collect their title deeds at their nearest customer care centres. For access, they must bring their IDs and proof of residence.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!