For 12 families in Gugulethu, this festive season will begin with something many have waited years for, the keys to a new home.
This comes after the City of Cape Town on Monday handed over a batch of Breaking New Ground (BNG) houses at the Gugulethu Infill housing project, marking another milestone in a development that has faced repeated setbacks but is now steadily moving forward.
The homes were allocated to qualifying beneficiaries from the Mau Mau section of the project in Nyanga, with the handover taking place on 15 December.
As outlined by City officials, the broader Gugulethu Infill housing project is expected to deliver 1 004 homes to approved beneficiaries and their families.
Of these, 570 units are being built at the Gugulethu Erf 8448 site, while a further 434 homes form part of the Mau Mau development in Nyanga.
City representatives described the handover as particularly significant, noting that it allows families to celebrate the festive season in their own homes, a moment many beneficiaries have long anticipated.
Speaking on the progress of the project, Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements Councillor Carl Pophaim acknowledged that the development has not been without difficulty.
‘The project has experienced several challenges, including contractor issues, Covid-19-related delays, extortion attempts, unlawful occupation of partially completed units at the Mau Mau portion of the project and vandalism to work already completed,’ Pophaim said.
Despite these hurdles, he said City teams continued pushing forward to ensure delivery to qualifying residents.
‘We have done everything possible to fight against these challenges and are now delivering to the people who deserve these opportunities,’ he added.
Pophaim said work on the remaining units will continue, with teams focused on completing the project as quickly and safely as possible.
‘Our teams are committed to completing the Gugulethu Infill housing project for the beneficiaries and their families as soon as possible,’ he said, thanking community members, City officials and project steering committees for their role in keeping the development on track.
‘We are so pleased to see this project become a success.’
The City has reiterated that beneficiaries of municipal housing projects are selected in line with its Housing Allocation Policy and Housing Needs Register.
This process is designed to ensure fair, transparent allocation and to prevent queue jumping, while prioritising those who qualify under South African housing legislation.
Further handovers are expected as construction progresses across both sites.
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