Seventy farm workers in Hekpoort are set to receive formal housing closer to their places of work, as the first qualifying beneficiaries of the Dr Sefularo Housing Project have been allocated.

The project was approved in 2016 following Integrated Development Plan (IDP) consultations, which identified an urgent need for housing for farm workers evicted from surrounding farms.

Progress was delayed by a court interdict related to compliance requirements. The matter was later dismissed by the High Court, allowing construction to resume earlier this year.

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Following the court ruling, Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements Tasneem Motara, together with the Department of Water and Sanitation, handed over bulk infrastructure to support the development.

According to Tendani Shavani, senior communication practitioner for Mogale City Local Municipality, the infrastructure includes a 1 424 kiloliters elevated water storage tank, as well as new water and sewer reticulation networks and a sewer package plant.

The infrastructure was funded through a R20m allocation from the Water Services Infrastructure Grant for the 2025/ 26 financial year. Shavani said it is critical to ensure a reliable water supply and sustainable sanitation in the area, which has historically struggled with access to basic services.

Once completed, the project will deliver 190 two-bedroom houses to the community.