The City of Ekurhuleni is going full-steam ahead to meet its target to deliver 100 000 housing units and serviced stands by 2024.
At the beginning of this term of office, the City identified that among others that it should focus on the provision of sustainable urban integration, improve on infrastructure investment, construct 100 000 houses, provide serviced stands, make land available and upscale services at qualifying informal settlements to make them more habitable.
Many mega-housing projects that will have a catalytic impact on growth in the city are either in the pipeline or in the planning stage. Wattville is one of the city’s catalytic projects which is taking shape. Wattville is a township south of Benoni in Ekurhuleni.
Background
Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Human Settlements in Ekurhuleni councillor Lesiba Mpya launched the Wattville housing project on 30 June 2018.
The first phase of the project is estimated to cost over R130-million and is expected to create 180 job opportunities for the residents.
The City in 2016/17 decided to increase the density following the approval of the densification strategy. To date, the project consists of 967 units. This project is a mixed development consisting of RDP walk-ups and semi-detached. At the present moment, the City is busy with phase 1, which should translate into 264 units. In this Financial year, the City is busy with 68 units as part of the 264 units, and in the financial next year, the city will implement 148 units. The targeted project completion is 2024 depending on the availability of the Human Settlements Development Grant.
Beneficiaries
The project will consist of 967 units and such shall be handed over to the community of Harry Gwala in both Phase 1 and Phase 2. This project is an in-situ upgrade, of which the beneficiaries shall be from the same community as per NUSP requirements.
NUSP is a new government initiative aimed at in-situ informal settlement upgrading. The National Upgrading Support Programme (NUSP) was designed to support the National Department of Human Settlements (NDHS) in its implementation of the Upgrading Informal Settlements Programme (UISP) with the objective of eventually upgrading all informal settlements in South Africa. The key objective of NUSP is the capacity building of municipalities to overcome the challenges of slow delivery of subsidised houses through incremental upgrading of informal settlements.
Project Deliverables & Social Amenities
The city is planning to upgrade the area by installing social amenities, such as a community park with picnic spots and eco-gym facilities. There are cycling lanes that were created around the lake including non-motorised transport routes.
Progress to Date
Currently, the City has appointed a contractor for the construction of 68 units, 9 units which are at the roof level, wall plates have been finished. The development will consist of a four-storey walk-up unit.
Throughout the project construction of a cycle and walkway route of 6 312m which will serve as a link between Wattville and Actonville.