R500m hostel project half done but poor safety and overcrowding persist

TimesLIVE

06-08-2025

Gauteng human settlements MEC Tasneem Motara says major refurbishment work on Johannesburg's inner-city hostels is halfway complete, with visible changes for residents but challenges such as overcrowding and poor safety remain.
Motara and Johannesburg MMC for human settlements Mlungisi Mabaso visited the George Goch, MBA, Murray & Roberts, Jeppe and Denver hostels on Wednesday to monitor progress under the 'Siyeza Nakuwe' service delivery campaign.
The three-year, R500m project targets six hostels with work on the final one, LTA Hostel, expected to start within two months.
The project includes structural repairs, sewer and water line upgrades, new electrical systems, waterproofing, paving, window replacement, tiling, painting and plumbing.
Motara said this was informed by condition assessments conducted three years ago to determine what was needed to make the hostels habitable.
'These hostels are really old and overcrowded. They were built for a specific purpose that no longer exists. Our responsibility is not just because we own them, but from a human rights and dignity perspective,' Motara said. 'We want to redevelop them into family units in future, but that will require more funding.'
She described the state of the hostels before the intervention as 'appalling' and said the department began with daily cleaning before tackling major repairs.
'We should not go beyond May next year. Some hostels will have completed blocks by the end of August,' she said, adding that bad weather could cause minor delays.
Mabaso said the city's hostel redevelopment strategy recently approved by council aims to partner the private sector for future phases.