The executive mayor for the City of Ekurhuleni, Alderman Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, says the city will complete and hand over 800 houses to first-time homeowners by the end of June this year.

“Since the beginning of our term of office in April 2024, the city has delivered a total of 2,980 houses. We are currently finalising the construction of a further 839 houses, which are expected to be ready in June.

“We are doing this because we understand the growing need for proper housing for many of our people,” said Xhakaza.

He added that catalytic projects remain central to large-scale delivery. The John Dube Mega Housing Project continues to show steady progress, with 295 units completed.

Also read: City of Ekurhuleni hands over 140 houses to Thembisa beneficiaries in Clayville

This is in addition to 172 units in Chief Albert Luthuli and 68 units in Helderwyk, marking significant strides in addressing the housing backlog.

“Taken together, these interventions reflect a municipality that is not only planning, but delivering systematically to restore dignity, expand access, and build sustainable human settlements for our communities,” he said.

Nearly a month ago, Xhakaza, together with the Gauteng Premier and the MMC for Human Settlements, 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 allocated to qualifying residents in Etwatwa, enabling them to build their own homes.

From April 2024 to date, the City has allocated more than 2,890 serviced stands and is preparing an additional 300 for handover by the end of June.

Also read: Ekurhuleni residents get new houses and title deeds

“We are also intensifying efforts to upgrade informal settlements through our reblocking programme, which over the years has enabled thousands of residents to access critical basic municipal services. Our current focus is the reblocking of the Mgongo informal settlement in Brakpan by June, covering 1,030 units. This will significantly improve spatial planning, access to services, and overall living conditions,” Xhakaza explained.

Meanwhile, the Gauteng Provincial Government has procured 200 hectares of land for development for residents of the Makause informal settlement in Germiston. The province is currently in the process of transferring and registering the property to the City of Ekurhuleni.

On the issue of security of tenure, the City has distributed 1,220 title deeds since 2024, with a further 800 set to be handed out by the end of the current financial year. However, the municipality still holds 13,177 title deeds, mainly due to family disputes and untraceable beneficiaries.

The City has urged beneficiaries to collect their title deeds from their nearest customer care centres. Residents are required to bring their identity documents and proof of residence.