Makhura: ‘Land occupation sets housing delivery back’
Gauteng Premier David Makhura says the province’s housing projects will ensure that people are able to own houses closer to their places of work.
Makhura is launching his administration’s mid-term performance review.
He says due to government intervention, formal housing in the province increased from 74% to 81%, while housing in informal settlements decreased from 23% to 17%.
But he warns that the illegal occupation of land has dire consequences for these housing projects.
“Our housing delivery is responding largely to people located informally all over the province. That is why we have to insist on an approach to housing delivery that is organised, not driven by illegal occupation of land. And then people start calling for delivery of houses once they have occupied land illegally, government then rushes to them and leaves those who have been waiting on the list in the older townships and that breeds a lot of tension among our people.”
Makhura says the proposed new “mega human settlements” will be integrated with economic and public transport networks.
“Our people still insist that if their parents are located in Jabulani and there is a housing opportunity elsewhere outside Jabulani, they will not take that opportunity, because their ancestors are in Jabulani. The message we are sending is that our people need to get accustomed to following opportunities, rather than waiting where they are and saying they need houses. Especially in places where there (are) no economic opportunities,” Makhura says.