By Bhekizenzo Zonele
The Gauteng government handed over 283 houses to qualifying beneficiaries at the Elijah Barayi Mega Project in Merafong on Wednesday, to families previously living in overcrowded hostels, informal settlements and backyard rooms.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi was joined by Human Settlements MEC Tasneem Motara and Merafong Executive Mayor Nozuko Best during the handover in Ward 12 of the Merafong City Local Municipality.
Among the beneficiaries was a family of six who had been sharing a single room at Khutsong Hostel.
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The latest handover brings the total number of families allocated homes at the development to 2,200 since construction began in 2017.
Lesufi told residents to protect their properties and contribute towards building safer communities.
“Our responsibility does not end with handing over houses. We want to see these communities grow and thrive, with schools, clinics, shopping facilities and other services that support a better quality of life,” Lesufi said.
The development is planned to provide 12,799 housing opportunities, comprising 6,500 houses, 3,500 units under the Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme (FLISP), now known as First Home Finance, 2,000 social rental units and 799 bonded houses.
Another 1,066 serviced stands have been made available to qualifying residents to build their own homes, while 12 military veterans have been provided with stand-alone houses.
Several communities have been prioritised, including Khutsong, Carletonville, Wedela, Fochville and informal settlements such as Sonderwater, Crossroads and Joe Slovo.
Motara warned beneficiaries against illegally selling or renting out their houses, saying the properties were intended to provide families with long-term security.
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“These homes represent more than bricks and mortar. They represent dignity, stability and the opportunity to build a better future,” Motara said.
Under Section 10A of the Housing Act, beneficiaries of state-subsidised housing are prohibited from selling or otherwise transferring their properties within eight years of acquisition unless they have first offered them to the relevant provincial housing department.
The development also has water, electricity, sewerage and road infrastructure, as well as completed community facilities, including a hall, sports facility, taxi rank and business centre.
The housing handover comes as Merafong continues to address wider service-delivery challenges. In August 2025, the Gauteng Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and the municipality agreed on a turnaround strategy aimed at improving infrastructure and municipal services.
Lesufi said building safe and sustainable communities was more important than simply handing over houses.
“That is how we build sustainable communities for the people of this province,” he said.
The Department of Human Settlements is working with the municipality to finalise the process of transferring title deeds to beneficiaries of Phase One.
