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The Citizen
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Johannesburg officials ask RDP beneficiaries not to sell their new assets
Johannesburg officials were in Soweto this weekend, where many RDP housing recipients were unable to receive their title deeds. Housing officials in Johannesburg have advised Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) housing beneficiaries not to sell their homes. Beneficiaries in Braamfischerville received the title deeds to their new homes, but over 200 were held back by the city due to verification discrepancies. Officials were meant to hand over at least 260 title deeds this weekend, but only 25 could be properly issued due to improper sales. RDP houses sold It is illegal to sell RDP title deeds, and those currently being held by the city have been wrongfully purchased, creating a mismatch on the city's records. MMC for Human Settlements Mlungisi Mabaso and Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero were in the Soweto suburb this weekend to greet new housing recipients. Mabaso warned that selling RDP homes hampered the city's housing objectives and created administrative problems for officials. The government provides a house, and then it is sold to another person. This buyer subsequently approaches our office seeking a title deed, only to be informed that they are not recognised beneficiaries, leading to the refusal of title deed issuance,' Mabaso said. 'RDPs are not for sale. When you sell your RDP, you then return to informal settlements demanding a house, which cannot be realised as our system permits only a single benefit,' he added. Community members said some RDP homes were being sold to foreign nationals, leading Mabaso to stress that homes were intended to be a building block of economic stability. 'Invest in your properties' Mayor Morero reiterated that RDP homes served as assets that could be used to secure the future of the next generation. 'You can also have a will so that when you are no longer there, your children do not start fighting over your property,' he said. Braamfischerville has 11 extensions that are currently subject to RDP developments, with a further three in the process of township formalisation. Morero urged recipients to closely guard their title deeds and build their homes into beacons of community progress. 'When you all invest in your properties, it improves their value. On the day you want to leave Gauteng, you will leave your children with a beautiful home that they are proud of,' the mayor concluded. NOW READ: Joburg plans to ease housing crisis with mega projects and acquisitions
IOL News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Eersterust residents stand firm against government relocation amid housing crisis
Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements Tasneem Motara and City of Tshwane's MMC for Human Settlements Aaron Maluleka led a team of government officials to assess the living conditions of the residents in Eersterust. Image: Rapula Moatshe Eersterust residents, who illegally occupied empty land during the Covid-19 pandemic, have vowed to defy the government's imminent plans to relocate them from the area, which is considered unsuitable for housing. This was revealed by residents on Tuesday during a visit to the area by Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements Tasneem Motara and City of Tshwane's MMC for Human Settlements Aaron Maluleka. The pair visited the informal settlement to assess the living conditions of the residents. They told residents about the plans in the pipeline to relocate them from the area, citing its unsuitability for housing. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Motara said: 'The surveys that the municipality has conducted indicate that the land is not developable; it is probably because of the soil type.' However, some residents have shown reluctance to relocate from the land. One of them, Linah Mlanjeni, said she illegally erected her shack on the land because renting had become too expensive for her. 'Renting is very expensive for us, and mostly the job that we are doing does not pay at least R10 000 salary a month. I have the responsibility to feed myself and my children,' she said. She expressed frustration over broken government promises of housing, questioning the claim that the land is unsuitable for building. 'They wanted to build a garage here. How can it not be suitable for building? We disagree on that. There are people who are already staying here in brick houses,' she said. Lizzy Bosman echoed similar concerns, citing unaffordable rent, which can be at least R6 000 for a small room. 'We don't want to leave this place, it is home, we have grown up here, and now we have kids of our own,' she said. Other residents demanded development in the area, highlighting the absence of basic amenities like toilets, clean water, and electricity. The residents firmly reiterated their opposition to relocation, insisting they will not leave Eersterust under any circumstances. Motara said the municipality has identified suitable land for relocation and will provide further details about it soon. 'If I tell you where the land is, then tomorrow they will invade it. We know where the land is,' she said. She said the relocation will happen as soon as her department and Tshwane have finalised the necessary processes, which include budgeting for it. When asked about handling those who refuse relocation, she said that relocation is necessary and there are various ways to address resistance. For example, she said, for residents occupying Sanral land, the entity would need to obtain a court-ordered eviction. 'We have to evict those people and relocate them. That land is unsuitable for people to reside on. To avert a disaster, they have to relocate. Where? It is based on where we have land and where the project is available,' Motara said. She urged everybody to respect the rule of law and refrain from invading land and constructing permanent structures. Maluleka said 79 people occupying Sanral's road reserves need urgent relocation due to road construction, while the total number of residents in the informal settlement is 1 149. 'We have to acknowledge the injustices of the past that people were deprived of land,' he said. He explained that the settlement emerged because the community felt neglected and left behind for a long time. 'We don't want to overpromise but whatever we are going to do, let's work together to be able to speed up development,' he said.
Daily Maverick
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Launch of landmark R27-billion Southern Farms development flames housing hopes for Joburg South residents
After more than a decade of grassroots activism and broken promises, residents in Johannesburg South are finally seeing progress in their fight for land and dignified housing. After more than a decade of protest and sustained calls for government intervention in the housing crisis, residents in the south of Johannesburg are finally seeing long-awaited progress. On Friday, 9 May 2025, Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero, along with MMC for Human Settlements, Mlungisi Mabaso, and other City of Johannesburg officials, met with community members at the Bushkoppies site in Region G to officially hand over the land where the Southern Farms Mega City Project will be constructed. The ambitious development marks a significant milestone in a community-led fight for equitable access to land and dignified housing. Although the project was officially launched in 2018 under the name 'Southern Farms Biodiversity Development Project', the struggle dates back to 2013, when grassroots movement Abahlali base Freedom Park began mobilising residents to demand solutions to overcrowded and inadequate housing conditions. 'In 2013, Abahlali came together to fight for land and housing. We were sharing small spaces with our families, with three to four generations living in one Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) house,' Peter Monethe, a founding member of Abahlali base Freedom Park, told Daily Maverick. 'So we came together and fought so we could find a space where we could live in dignity.' Long road of resistance and negotiation Over the years, Abahlali base Freedom Park, together with other community organisations in Region G, engaged in tireless advocacy, protests, and negotiations with the City. Their efforts spanned multiple mayoral administrations, often marked by broken promises. 'All through this time we protested, and then the government would engage, but then nothing would happen,' Monethe said. 'There would be houses built, but they'd be allocated to ANC members because of cadre deployment, while the community was excluded.' Frustrated by the delays, Abahlali eventually identified and occupied Bushkoppies — the very site now earmarked for the project. After enduring years of forced removals and legal battles, the City of Johannesburg ultimately purchased the land, paving the way for development to begin. R27-billion housing initiative The Southern Farms Mega City Project is a R27-billion housing initiative designed to address Johannesburg's estimated 1.3 million housing backlog. It will also promote economic development and environmental sustainability in one of the City's most underserved areas. As the community gathered on Friday to mark the handover, spirits were high. Residents sang, danced, and ululated in celebration of what many called a long-overdue breakthrough. Set to unfold over the next 10 years, the project covers 4,000 hectares and will deliver at least 43,000 mixed-housing units for communities in Freedom Park, Eldorado Park, Diepkloof, and surrounding areas — many of whom have waited years for housing allocations. 'This really feels like there is finally change coming,' said Farhana, a lifelong Eldorado Park resident. 'It has felt like we were divided for so long, fighting the government and fighting among ourselves for housing. My mother has been on the list for years, but now at least we can see this is really happening.' According to Mabaso, the development will include: Breaking New Ground (BNG) multi-storey units Affordable finance-linked housing options Serviced stands Mixed-income neighbourhoods Economic zones and community facilities 'Southern Farms is a bold statement that every Joburg South resident deserves dignity, opportunity and progress. We're building more than homes, we're building an inclusive future,' Morero said. Questions remain about transparency Despite the celebrations, concerns persist. Monethe said some members of Abahlali remained uneasy about the lack of clarity surrounding the number of RDP houses to be built and the criteria for allocation. 'We want to know who the beneficiaries will be. There are elderly people living in shacks, people with disabilities, and we want to ensure they are included in the allocations,' he said. During the launch, Mabaso assured the public that beneficiary management would be handled with strict transparency and adherence to the City's verified housing database. 'No one will receive a house unless they're on the verified housing database,' Mabaso said. 'Only pre-approved residents will benefit.' However, when Daily Maverick contacted the City for specific figures regarding RDP house allocations and further details on the selection process, no response had been received by the time of publication. As the bulldozers prepare to move in and formal construction begins, the community remains cautiously optimistic. For the residents of Region G, the Southern Farms Mega City Project symbolises not only a victory after years of struggle, but a test of whether the government can finally deliver on its promises. DM
The Citizen
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
WATCH: Joburg residents weigh in on draft informal settlements policy
The City of Johannesburg's Human Settlements Department held a public participation process on the Draft Informal Settlements Policy at the South Rand Recreation Centre, Welfare Park, on April 23. The aim was to get the public's input to guide the city on how to address service delivery, upgrading projects and long-term development in and around the community. It was a chance to be heard and influence decisions directly impacting the residents' future in these informal settlements. MMC for Human Settlements, Mlungisi Mabaso, addressed the public, stating some challenges and how the policy would help pave the way forward. 'In this draft policy, we want to address some of the challenges you face as residents of these informal settlements – how we provide basic services, how we co-ordinate the entities in providing the services and how we manage the informal settlements in Johannesburg. 'We have more than 352 informal settlements in Johannesburg and have yet to formalise the first informal settlement. In that process, we encountered challenges because you can come to an informal settlement and find out they have 300 households or shacks. Then you plan. When you go back with the budget, they are now 700. You then have to go back again and re-adjust your plan,' he said. He said this makes it difficult to work. The policy looks at how to deal with situations when informal settlements are on undeveloped land, wetlands and privately owned land. 'In the informal settlements are people who own multiple shacks, people who own shacks in different informal settlements, and others living somewhere else but renting out shacks they own. They illegally sell electricity and water, while others take the communal taps and put them in their yards. 'We are developing this policy because we want a co-ordinated way of addressing these issues. If we don't deal with these issues, the informal settlements will grow in Johannesburg, and we will not formalise them because of these challenges. 'We've also realised that our co-ordination for providing basic services in the informal settlements is unco-ordinated. Johannesburg Water does its own thing when it goes to the informal settlement, and City Power also comes in without considering the formalisation process. That is why some informal settlements are unelectrified,' explained Mabaso. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
WATCH: City of Joburg consults public on draft policy for informal settlements
The City of Johannesburg's Human Settlements Department held a public participation process on the Draft Informal Settlements Policy at the South Rand Recreation Centre, Welfare Park, on April 23. The aim was to get the public's input to guide the city on how to address service delivery, upgrading projects and long-term development in and around the community. It was a chance to be heard and influence decisions directly impacting the residents' future in these informal settlements. MMC for Human Settlements, Mlungisi Mabaso, addressed the public, stating some challenges and how the policy would help pave the way forward. 'In this draft policy, we want to address some of the challenges you face as residents of these informal settlements – how we provide basic services, how we co-ordinate the entities in providing the services and how we manage the informal settlements in Johannesburg. 'We have more than 352 informal settlements in Johannesburg and have yet to formalise the first informal settlement. In that process, we encountered challenges because you can come to an informal settlement and find out they have 300 households or shacks. Then you plan. When you go back with the budget, they are now 700. You then have to go back again and re-adjust your plan,' he said. He said this makes it difficult to work. The policy looks at how to deal with situations when informal settlements are on undeveloped land, wetlands and privately owned land. 'In the informal settlements are people who own multiple shacks, people who own shacks in different informal settlements, and others living somewhere else but renting out shacks they own. They illegally sell electricity and water, while others take the communal taps and put them in their yards. 'We are developing this policy because we want a co-ordinated way of addressing these issues. If we don't deal with these issues, the informal settlements will grow in Johannesburg, and we will not formalise them because of these challenges. 'We've also realised that our co-ordination for providing basic services in the informal settlements is unco-ordinated. Johannesburg Water does its own thing when it goes to the informal settlement, and City Power also comes in without considering the formalisation process. That is why some informal settlements are unelectrified,' explained Mabaso. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
