Lasting solution needed for SA housing crisis, says SAHRC
The South African Human Rights Commission has warned that a failure to solve the country’s housing crisis could see a repeat of the Marshalltown tragedy.
At least 74 people died when a fire ripped through the hijacked building in the Johannesburg CBD in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The five-storey structure had been illegally occupied by squatters.
The commission’s spokesperson Wisani Baloyi said the demand for subsidised or other affordable housing outstrips the number of available government or private sector housing units.
He said while the commission is aware that housing is a complex issue, the government needs to do more to find a lasting solution.
"Despite the projections of increased urban migration, it appears that a significant portion of the population will struggle to find housing and will either take up informal accommodation or settle on the urban periphery.
“The demand for subsidised or other affordable housing outstrips the number of available government or private sector housing units. At the current rate of delivery, the eradication of informal settlements is unlikely to be achieved by 2030.”
Baloyi said the incident is a harsh reminder that those who are unable to find a home, often resort to living in hijacked buildings.
"The SAHRC therefore calls on the state to prioritise the matter of urban migration. In the absence of urgent attention to human settlements and housing in urban areas, housing tragedies like those in Osindiso may become common in cities across South Africa.”
ALSO READ:
