R35-bn city project launched in Ekurhuleni
The project will include 10 schools and a university
PRESENT at the launch of John Dube City, were Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina, Gauteng premier David Makhura, minister Lindiwe Sisulu, MEC Paul Mashatile and a representative of JD Developers, turning the sod for John Dube City.
The Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Human Settlements, Paul Mashatile, said Gauteng Government has been working hard to reduce the backlog of housing, especially in Ekurhuleni, Kempton Express reports.
Mashatile was speaking at the launch of the R35-billion John Dube City megaproject which is going to yield over 10 000 houses.
He said John Dube City would benefit residents of KwaThema, Duduza and Tsakane. Elderly people, the disabled, child-headed households and people from the communities, who applied in 1996, would be prioritised.
The construction of the houses will be rolled out in three phases over three years.
He said the project was the sixth in Ekurhuleni with over 10 000 houses and was going to ensure that government was close to the realisation of building 100 000 houses in the municipality.
Premier David Makhura told residents that John Dube City would have a university for their children.
READ MORE: Gauteng Road and Transport MEC launches R444 million project
“It has a university so that your children can get education. We cannot build houses for the youth. The youth must learn, get the skills and build beautiful houses for themselves and not smoke nyaope or get involved in illegal activities,” he said.
Makhura said provincial government was working hard with the City of Ekurhuleni to ensure that the new university has campuses all over the municipality for it to be accessible to more children.
In addition to the university, the city will also have a CBD with a civic centre, business and higher-order resident facilities, seven primary schools, three secondary schools, 15 resident facility sites, two transport stations/multi-modal hubs, 53 parks/resident gardens, hotel, an industrial and manufacturing zone, regional hospital and theme park.
“If each megaproject has more than 10 000 houses, and Ekurhuleni has six, it means we are already close to the 100 000 houses to be built by the Ekurhuleni municipality in the next five years,” he said.
Minister of Human Settlements, Lindiwe Sisulu, said the name for the project belonged to an outstanding man who studied abroad and returned to plough back to the community by opening a school.
“Today, when we talk about John Dube, we will not only be talking about Ohlange School but also about the residents of KwaThema, Duduza and Tsakane,” she said.
This launch follows close on the launch of the Daggafontein megaproject which will yield over 16 000 in Ekurhuleni.
READ MORE
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng-road-transport-mec-launches-r444-million-project/
– Caxton News Service
