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Daily Maverick
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Joburg is refurbishing its hostels for R500m — Residents say it's a waste of money
A number of Johannesburg hostels are undergoing R500-million renovations, but critics say the upgrades are cosmetic and represent a step away from plans to transform the overcrowded hostels into family units, once framed as a transformative step towards improving the living standards and the dignity of residents. Last week, Gauteng Human Settlements MEC Tasneem Motara and Johannesburg Human Settlements MMC Mlungisi Mabaso visited inner-city hostels to inspect a R500-million refurbishment programme. Johannesburg's hostels are dilapidated, overcrowded and often lack basic services. Siyamthanda Nkabinde, who has lived at the George Goch Hostel in Benrose for more than a decade, told Daily Maverick: 'Prisoners and hostel dwellers are equal inmates. One is physically incarcerated and the other mentally imprisoned.' Regarding the upgrades, he said: 'I don't think they know what they are doing.' The Gauteng government has earmarked R500-million to upgrade the six hostels under its control, focusing on fixing the most immediate problems such as plumbing and electricity, replacing flooring, repairing building cracks, waterproofing the buildings and replacing paving. According to some residents, however, no level of renovations can gloss over their long-lost dignity. They want the government to fulfil its longstanding commitment to transform the single-sex hostels into family units so they can live with their loved ones in a move away from the apartheid-era hostel system. George Goch resident Mdumiseni Miya said the renovations were being used to hoodwink residents into thinking that their housing problems were coming to an end. 'We want family units, which guarantee safety, dignity and comfort for families. There is no point in tiling, painting or filling buildings which are falling apart,' Miya said. 'We know they are wasting money on the collapsing buildings so that they can be seen to be doing something ahead of the upcoming elections.' Short-term plan Renovations are already under way in five of the six hostels in Johannesburg under the control of the Gauteng government. Renovations on the sixth hostel will begin within two months, and the process of appointing a contractor has just been concluded. The project is expected to take three years. Motara said the provincial government was undertaking the renovations to ensure that the hostels were habitable and had adequate living conditions. She said the long-term goal was to convert the hostels into family units, but that would be 'expensive as it involves redesign, demolitions and replanning'. 'Here, we didn't have to do redesigns. We have had to deal with the actual design as it is, and this will save the cost,' Motara said. The six hostels earmarked for renovation are George Goch, Jeppestown, Denver, MBA, Murray & Roberts, and LTA (Rethabile) hostels. Gauteng has a total of 65 hostels, but the other 59 are managed by municipalities. Motara told Daily Maverick this week: 'The overall strategy in relation to hostels is to redevelop them into family/housing units. But the six owned by the province are not currently approved for redevelopment [into family units]. 'Our current plan as the province is to renovate the six hostels we own as well as support the various cities across the province to at least renovate one per region that is owned by the municipalities,' Motara said. Professor Marie Huchzermeyer, from Wits University's School of Architecture and Planning, said: 'The frustration for those on the waiting list for a family unit is understandable, given past promises. However, renovation, if carried out with integrity, can lead to immediate improvements in people's lives.' Cost concerns The DA has expressed alarm over the cost and questioned what work is being done. 'Simply, to go along, visit the place, and then say R500-million is going to be spent — as far as we are concerned, that is meaningless,' said the DA's shadow human settlements MEC Mervyn Cirota, who has questioned why the province is refurbishing the hostels rather than converting them to family units. Cirota called on Motara to provide specific details for the R500-million plan. 'There has to be motivation, there has to be a plan, there has to be a timeline, there has to be a roll-out, and there has to be oversight so that we do not have the same scenario again. Promises keep being made, and no delivery.' 'Betrayal' At 88 years old, Shalaza Mbatha is no stranger to the corridors of Denver Hostel. He's not just one of its oldest and longest-serving indunas, he is also a living archive of the hostel's history. 'It's not just disappointing, it's a betrayal of a conversation that's been going on for years,' Mbatha said of the move to refurbish the hostels rather than upgrade them to family units. He did, however, note the challenges in building family units, saying that new structures should be built as converting the hostel in its current form could pose dangers to women and children. 'Some people are happy that the hostels are being renovated, but they are looking to continue staying with their families, which is why the family units are a necessity. 'The people must be built these family units after all these years of complete neglect of the hostels by the government,' he said. 'This way, everybody's dignity would be fully restored.' Jeppestown Hostel resident Khulekani Sibiya asked Daily Maverick: 'Have you ever seen a hostel as rotten as the Jeppestown Hostel? 'When I am sleeping at night, I can see the sky because there is no roof above. We are living like pigs; even pigs live a better life. Hostel dwellers are on their own in this country.'' Municipal facilities The bulk of hostels in Gauteng are managed by municipalities, with at least 13 falling under the City of Johannesburg. In March 2025, Johannesburg housing MMC Mabaso said the City had earmarked R10-billion to fix its hostels. When asked what would happen to the 59 hostels currently under the control of municipalities, Motara said the province was helping municipalities conduct assessments on the conditions at each facility. 'This provides the municipalities with an accurate state of the property. We are encouraging the municipalities to now budget for the work that needs to be done, or use the information to go to the next steps of addressing the current state of the properties,' Motara said. 'It is now the responsibility of the individual municipalities to action and implement the same. We will support the municipalities in so far as we are able to.' The City of Johannesburg is conducting a detailed social survey of its hostels, which Huchzermeyer said was necessary to tailor redevelopment to the needs of residents. 'A tailored approach must be welcomed as more appropriate than the one-size-fits-all hostel-to-homes plans of the past, which also envisaged home ownership. These assumed every hostel dweller has a family and qualifies for a capital subsidy. 'A far more nuanced approach is needed that considers needs and affordability, and actively avoids displacing residents. From what I can gather, the City of Johannesburg is adopting this approach, whereas Gauteng's six hostels will be renovated until such time as budgets are available for redevelopment,' said Huchzermeyer. The DA, meanwhile, has questioned whether Gauteng municipalities are able to implement hostel upgrades, given that plans have been derailed in the past. It is calling for the control of all of the province's hostels to be centralised under the provincial government. 'We are of the view that all hostels in Gauteng must fall under the [provincial] Hostel Redevelopment Plan,' Cirota told Daily Maverick. 'The municipalities are unable, unwilling and just do not have the capacity to fix the hostels. It's been many years.' DM
TimesLIVE
06-08-2025
- General
- TimesLIVE
R500m hostel project half done but poor safety and overcrowding persist
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.
The Herald
31-05-2025
- General
- The Herald
'Fraudster' arrested after allegedly confessing to RDP housing scam
A woman who allegedly scammed a number of people by promising to fast-track their applications for government-subsidised housing has been arrested after allegedly walking into the Gauteng department of human settlements office and confessing her crimes. The woman told a senior official at the department's customer support centre earlier this week she had illegally collected more than R100,000 from members of the public, the department said She claimed she could help them 'jump the housing waiting list' and secure Breaking New Ground or RDP houses. The official alerted authorities and the suspect was apprehended in a joint operation by the department and the Ekurhuleni metro police. She is now in police custody and faces charges of fraud. Human settlements MEC Tasneem Motara praised the official who escalated the matter. 'I commend the official who acted responsibly and was not tempted to get involved in corrupt activity herself. We are serious about cracking down on corruption and fraud, especially those who are trying to take advantage of citizens who have a real need to be allocated [housing] as soon as possible.' The department reiterated warnings about housing scams and reminded the public it does not charge for any of its services. It urged residents to remain alert and avoid being duped by individuals who falsely claim to be government officials. 'Please be aware of unscrupulous individuals who pose as officials from the Gauteng department of human settlement — falsely claiming to be MECs or heads of department to deceive and extort money from the public.' TimesLIVE
TimesLIVE
30-05-2025
- TimesLIVE
'Fraudster' arrested after allegedly confessing to RDP housing scam
A woman who allegedly scammed a number of people by promising to fast-track their applications for government subsidised housing has been arrested after allegedly walking into the Gauteng department of human settlements office and confessing her crimes. The woman told a senior official at the department's customer support centre earlier this week she had illegally collected more than R100,000 from members of the public, the department said She claimed she could help them 'jump the housing waiting list' and secure Breaking New Ground or RDP houses. The official alerted authorities and the suspect was apprehended in a joint operation by the department and the Ekurhuleni metro police. She is now in police custody and faces charges of fraud. Human settlements MEC Tasneem Motara praised the official who escalated the matter. 'I commend the official who acted responsibly and was not tempted to get involved in corrupt activity herself. We are serious about cracking down on corruption and fraud, especially those who are trying to take advantage of citizens who have a real need to be allocated [housing] as soon as possible.' The department reiterated warnings about housing scams and reminded the public it does not charge for any of its services. It urged residents to remain alert and avoid being duped by individuals who falsely claim to be government officials. 'Please be aware of unscrupulous individuals who pose as officials from the Gauteng department of human settlement — falsely claiming to be MECs or heads of department to deceive and extort money from the public.'
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.
