MMC Mpya Assesses Housing Projects in Thembisa and Hands over Title Deeds

MMC for Human Settlements Cllr Lesiba Mpya on 19 November visited the Thembisa mega housing projects to assess progress of construction at Thembisa Extension 25 and 27. In addition, he also handed over title deeds at Rabasotho Customer Care Centre and visited recently resettled beneficiaries at Clayville Extension 80.

The Thembisa site covers over 58ha and will yield 3 510 housing units of which 3 159 are RDP walk-ups, and the remaining 351 are social housing units. The units are to be built as four storey walk-ups. The project is at approximately 23% completion and is anticipated to be completed by June 2021.

The first phase of the top structures consists of 500 units to be built as four storey walk-ups, using alternative building technology (ABT) that will help accelerate the delivery of the units. Houses built using this technology are between 10% and 20% more economical than conventional methods, but still deliver on required quality. In addition, it is more environmentally friendly.

The following has been completed on site:

Earthworks, raft foundations, ground floor walling and a large portion of the first floor slabs. Wall panels are also continuously being assembled on site.

Bulk services have been largely completed on the project and the Human Settlements Department is in the process of readying other portions of the site to construct the next phases of the housing units.

The local community has been trained to use the ABT systems being used on the project. The project has employed more local labour and women at the assembly of the panels used is a labour intensive activity.

There is a subcontractor from Thembisa that has also been appointed for construction on the project, and at least 200 local labourers are anticipated to be engaged during the course of the project.

Beneficiary administration processes are underway to ensure that the first 500 beneficiaries are in place once the units are ready to be handed over.

Speaking at the construction site, MMC Mpya said, “This year the City of Ekurhuleni will be celebrating its 20 years of existence (5 December 2020). This moment is therefore profound as it will be counted among other milestones we would have achieved as we pause to look back and reflect on the long, hard and challenging road we have travelled in serving our people since the formation of this City.

“Central to our human settlements provision is the values of dignity and ubuntu. It is for this reason that in each block we are building here the elderly and disabled will be housed on the ground floors that were specially configured to aid the elderly, and those with disabilities,” said Mpya.

MMC Mpya proceeded to Rabasotho hall to hand over 12 title deeds to the rightful owners.

The last event of the day was the resettlement of beneficiaries at Clayville Extension 80. True to the City’s commitment of delivering houses, over 180 residents of Madelakufa informal settlement moved into their new housing units in Clayville Extension 80 on 2 July.

MMC Mpya made a surprise visit to some of the beneficiaries’ homes to ensure that they were living in good and safe conditions.

Jane Ngwenya who was recently allocated a housing unit at Clayville Extension 80 said she was happy to have relocated into her new home because at the informal settlement they were faced with many social issues which were unsafe for her and her children.

“The environment changes a person’s life, my children are very happy. Moving to Clayville has allowed me to invest in furniture and electrical appliances such as a washing machine and refrigerator. Electricity is very affordable here even if I have R20 I can buy electricity to do my laundry. I feel safe to be here, we are a very united community,” said Ngwenya.

Clayville Extension 80 is an integrated human settlements project with RDP houses, social housing, rental and bonded houses.

“When we came into administration in 2016, we promised to build dignified houses. Clayville was a vacant land but today it is filled with high rise buildings. Ekurhuleni is indeed a construction site,” said Mpya.