Lufhereng largest mixed housing

Lufhereng has been described as the largest integrated mixed housing development built under the auspices of the Human Settlement Department’s Breaking New Ground policy.

City of Joburg housing spokeswoman Bubu Xuba said upon completion, Lufhereng will yield 24 000 units and have schools, clinics, community centres and venues for businesses.

“Of the units, 6 000 will be rental units, 6 000 bonded units and 12 000 RDP units.

“The projected timeline for the availability of these units was in 2013,” he said.

Xuba said due to the complications and delays to the Lufhereng housing construction, the project have been put on hold for new tenders to keep the project going.

“When this development is complete, it will have preschools, clinics, community centres, venues for business and industrial areas.

“The Soweto Bureau for Sustainable Settlement (Sobuse) said it had compiled a housing waiting list with more than 76 000 people hoping to get RDP houses in Soweto alone.

Sobuse has since urged the Department of Human Settlements to consider allocating serviced stands to people who can afford to build their own houses.

MEC for Housing Nomvula Mokonyane said the project addresses the housing backlog.

“I urge the community to embrace and rally behind this project to ensure it is a success.

“This project will address your social and economical conditions,” she said.

Mokonyane said RDP houses will form half of the project and it will prioritise beneficiaries from the 1996 and 1997 housing waiting list for south-western Johannesburg and eligible residents of Protea South and the Doornkop Farming Community.

“People who often attempt to derail service delivery by embarking on unnecessary squabbles, are being warned.

“This follows groups lobbying residents of the Protea South Informal settlement where the area is dolomatic to boycott the Lufhereng project.

“Relocation is voluntary and those who do not want to move should stay behind.

“We should be on the lookout for these people who always try but fail to destabilise our commitment to provide decent houses for our people,” she said.

Farmers that are currently residing in the land required for the first phase of the project have already been moved.