Lufhereng housing development gathers pace
04-02-2015
A further 500 Johannesburg families will move into their new homes in June as the multibillion rand Lufhereng housing development – one of the biggest initiatives undertaken to address the housing shortage in the city – gathers momentum.
An additional 1 200 families will be settled in Lufhereng, west of Soweto, in June next year, according to Project Manager Charles Davis.
More than 2 100 families are already living in Lufhereng and a total of 2 547 stands have been serviced so far.
Davis says this development forms part of the City of Johannesburg’s R690-million capital expenditure, spread over three years to 2016 for bulk infrastructure – including roads, a storm water drainage system and serviced stands – and the creation of an attenuation pond.
“Now that the extended contracting process has been finalised and performance-based contracts have been signed with the turnkey developer – the Lufhereng Development Company – the City expects to see an accelerated rate of housing delivery.
“One of the key performance areas for the contractor is to deliver about 1 000 houses a year. That will definitely go a long way towards whittling down the housing waiting list and releasing residents from paying rent for backrooms and put an end to cramped living conditions,” says Member of the Mayoral Committee for Housing Councillor Dan Bovu.
The 2 080ha development, initiated in 2008 by the Gauteng Provincial Government and the City to address the housing backlog, will comprise a total of 25 000 mixed housing units and between 12 and 18 extensions by the time it is completed in 2025.
A R47-million state-of-the-art primary school, built in partnership between the City and the Gauteng departments of Education and Infrastructure, is expected to open its gates by February or March this year, according to Davis.
“The school will be semi off-grid as it will harness its electricity from solar panels during sunny days,” says Davis. Other features that stand out about the school include interactive boards, well-laid out sports fields and a well-stocked library.
The construction of a high school will commence in June.
Lufhereng Proper and Extension 1 have been fully serviced with water, sewer networks, roads and a storm water drainage system.
Over the next 10 years, the City envisages building a total 8 353 RDP houses, 8 359 bonded accommodation and 6 188 high-density rental apartments to add to the existing 2 100 units already built.
This R6.2 billion development will be surrounded by Lufhereng Agricultural Estates “to promote a unique live-and-work environment with the opportunity to engage in agricultural activities”, says Davis.
The initiative seeks to promote small- to medium-scale farmers through intensive agricultural activities with high-yield production over a 480ha area.
The land will consist of small plots and large open field farms to promote food security.