Note to editors: Please find attached English soundbite by Mervyn Cirota MPL.
14 out of 45 housing projects in Gauteng, which is approximately one in three, have been illegally occupied in the last five years. This situation highlights a significant failure to protect housing projects and to ensure that they are completed and allocated to millions of residents in dire need of dignified homes.
The Gauteng Department of Human Settlements (GDHS) disclosed the alarming extent of the problem in a written reply to Democratic Alliance (DA) questions in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL). The reply confirms that 14 of Gauteng’s 45 housing projects have been illegally occupied over the past five years. The affected projects include Eagle Nest, Western Mega Project, Danville, Beverly Hills, Olievenhoutbosch Extension 36, among others.
When asked what the department is doing to remove illegal occupants and protect housing developments, the GDHS outlined that it has established a panel of security companies to prevent land invasions through surveillance and monitoring, as well as to assist with the execution of eviction orders. Furthermore, the MEC stated that each eviction order costs an average of R1.5 million, a budget constraint that will impact the ability to swiftly remove illegal occupants.
The DA will not allow illegal occupations to be used as an excuse for further delays in housing delivery. We will table further questions to GDSD MEC Tasneem Motara to establish the reasons why these 14 housing projects were allowed to be invaded and what measures were in place to prevent the invasions. We will also seek information on the number of beneficiaries affected by these invasions and the estimated value of each housing project.
The GDHS has allowed illegal occupations to become a costly and entrenched part of Gauteng’s housing programme. These illegal occupations expose the incompetence of the Gauteng government. As long as government fails to plan and implement preventative measures, Gauteng will be incapable of protecting public housing projects and taxpayers’ money. Rather than being proactive and protecting housing developments from the outset, the department is now spending millions of rands responding to illegal occupations after they have already occurred.
The department cannot hide behind budget constraints while millions of rands in public investment are effectively surrendered to unlawful occupants while housing delivery to legitimate beneficiaries is senselessly delayed.
A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would proactively prevent the invasion of housing project rather than spending millions on recovery. We would enhance security and monitoring, establish early-warning mechanisms, and work with municipalities and law enforcement to prevent unlawful occupations. In the event of illegal occupations, we will take swift legal action to protect investments and ensure allocation of homes to verified beneficiaries without years of delay.