More residents move into new homes in Fleurhof
30 July 2016
More names on the City of Johannesburg's 96/97 housing waiting list are being scratched off as more families move to new and permanent addresses - homes they can now call their own.
Forty-eight families who have been waiting for houses for up to 20 years ululated and danced as the City's Member of the Mayoral Committee for Housing, Cllr Dan Bovu, handed them keys to their new houses in the Fleurhof housing development, southwest of Johannesburg.
A total of 100 units will be allocated to beneficiaries on the waiting list in this phase of the Fleurhof development. Two days earlier Johannesburg Executive Mayor Cllr Parks Tau announced that all 9 154 families on the City's 96/97 list would be would moved to their new homes within the next three years.
On Friday, MMC Bovu said more beneficiaries would be notified by SMS once their homes were ready for occupation. Before handing over the keys to the first batch of occupants, MMC Bovu officially opened Fleurhof Bridge.
Fleurhof is a mixed housing development covering 440ha in Johannesburg’s Region C. It is one of the largest integrated housing developments in Gauteng. With 3 236 RDP houses, 4 429 social or rental housing units and 2 122 bonded homes - a total of 10 411 dwellings - the main aim of the development is to establish a truly integrated residential area.
A total of 4 633 units have already been completed by developer Calgro M3 and allocated to beneficiaries. The remainder are at different stages of construction.
MMC Bovu said Mayor Tau’s main wish was to see the elderly moving from back yard rooms and shacks to new and permanent homes.
“We continue to push, to tackle the waiting list. I'm very happy we've reached the stage at which we're able to respond to the needs of our elderly,” he said.
Rebecca Manyala, 66, was in tears as she went into her ground floor flat in Block N.
“God is good. I can’t believe this blessing. I didn’t sleep last night. I was too excited after housing officials phoned me with the news. I'm overjoyed and grateful to the City for this house,” she said.
She danced and ululated while waving her house keys.
Amos Ngwenya, 57, who has been renting a back yard room in Dobsonville for years, said he could not wait to bring his wife and 14-year-old daughter to their new home.
“Eish, this is quite unbelievable,” he said.
Ethel Zulu, 59, and her new neighbour Mercy Ethel Thabi, 70, were already planning a thanksgiving party.
“We'll get everyone to make a contribution to buy a beast so we can have a big feast,” said Thabi.
Zulu agreed, saying: “We've to thank God for this. We asked for houses and the City has delivered. Most times when people’s wishes are granted, we forget to say thank you.”