Lufhereng housing project delivers 163 new homes in Soweto

The Minister of Human Settlements, Thembi Simelane, Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements, Tasneem Motara, and City of Johannesburg Executive Mayor, Dada Morero, handed over 163 newly completed homes to qualifying beneficiaries at the Lufhereng Mega Project in Soweto.

The handover highlights collaboration between the national, provincial and local spheres of government to accelerate the delivery of sustainable human settlements and improve the quality of life of deserving households across Gauteng.

Lufhereng is one of Gauteng’s flagship mega projects, designed to create integrated communities where residents have access to decent housing as well as social and economic amenities.

The project had previously stalled due to funding constraints and implementation challenges.

ALSO READ: 197 Jabulani Parcel K housing units handed over to Soweto beneficiaries

However, following intervention by MEC Motara and continued collaboration between the Gauteng provincial government and the City of Johannesburg, the project was unblocked, paving the way for the delivery of homes to qualifying beneficiaries.

Speaking at the handover, Simelane congratulated the new homeowners and urged them to safeguard their properties and title deeds.

“This project was stalled due to a lack of funds. We have unblocked it to ensure that our people are accommodated and that their dignity is restored,” said Simelane.

Simelane added that do not give your house away, because there is no second house coming.

Motara echoed the call for beneficiaries to protect their homes and warned against the illegal sale or rental of government-subsidised houses.

“It is illegal to sell or rent out an RDP house. We verify allocations through physical inspections. If we find that a different person is occupying the house, we will have no option but to take it back and allocate it to someone who genuinely needs it,” she said.

ALSO READ: Know your rights: why eviction awareness is vital during South Africa’s housing crisis

Motara said the department remains committed to eradicating informal settlements and restoring the dignity of residents.

She explained that Lufhereng is intended to accommodate people from Soweto and is being developed as an integrated settlement comprising subsidised houses, bonded houses and rental stock.

The development will also include social amenities such as schools, clinics and recreation centres.

Morero encouraged the new homeowners to take responsibility for their properties and maintain clean and safe households.

He urged residents to open municipal accounts and keep their electricity, water and refuse-removal services paid up.

He also encouraged pensioners and qualifying households to register for the City’s indigent programme to access municipal support.

The Lufhereng development forms part of government’s broader commitment to transforming Gauteng’s spatial landscape by building sustainable, integrated and well-planned human settlements that bring housing, infrastructure, social amenities and economic opportunities closer to communities.

The three spheres of government reaffirmed their commitment to working together to unblock stalled projects, accelerate housing delivery and ensure government resources reach the intended beneficiaries.