Note to editors: Please find attached English soundbite by Mervyn Cirota MPL.

Life in the ‘Fearfokol’ informal settlement in Ivory Park, near Tembisa, bears daily hardship and uncertainty. Children risk electrocution from makeshift power connections, sewage runs through crowded pathways, and a polluted stream adjacent to the shacks is a health hazard. This is all in an environment where residents also deal with a high crime rate.

As an initial step, I will table questions to MEC Motara to determine the plans for this informal settlement, as residents cannot continue living in overcrowded conditions without the basic services needed to survive. She must stop sidelining the issue of informal settlements and instead clearly outline a concrete plan and vision. This must include an evolving process to facilitate joint engagement with all relevant stakeholders, including the residents of Fearfokol, to find sustainable solutions to the province’s growing housing challenges.

For 15 years, residents have endured these conditions, as successive governments, including that of Premier Panyaza Lesufi, looked the other way.

The DA learned of this cruel reality during its oversight inspection led by the DA Ward 77 Councillor, Otto Kgeletsane and I.

A walk through this densely populated informal settlement reveals conditions that are appalling and unfit for habitation. The area is overcrowded, with narrow pathways that would be difficult to navigate in the event of a disaster. There is no access to toilets, refuse removal, electricity, or safe drinking water, and the only Apollo light that should light up the area has not worked for a year.

The nearby stream linked to the Jukskei River has become a site of concern and tragedy, with reports of two newborn babies found in the sewage-contaminated water. During our visit, a dead dog was found dumped in the stream, which floods nearby shacks during heavy rains. Residents also report that children are frequently falling ill due to exposure to the contaminated water, which has a strong, foul smell.

See video here and here and photos here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

It is unacceptable that Fearfokol residents must live in such sickening conditions. Even more concerning is that similar conditions are common across many of the 200 informal settlements in Gauteng. Premier Lesufi and Human Settlements MEC Tasneem Motara are aware of this situation but are failing to take meaningful action to improve their situation. In fact, they do not even set foot in these sites. It is also apparent that the City of Johannesburg has no interest in these abandoned residents.

The DA believes that a joint initiative between the Provincial Government, the City of Johannesburg and an injection of private sector capital is required to begin a process of recovery.

While Premier Lesufi boasted during the State of the Province Address (SOPA) that his government would allocate R100 billion to human settlements in Gauteng, the housing waiting list to remains at over 1.4 million, with some people having waited for a house since 1996. There is no justification for this indignity to the residents of Gauteng.

The DA is the only party with a clear plan to address the housing shortage and prevent the expansion of informal settlements, through a coordinated approach involving provincial and local government, as well as the private sector. This is achievable, and we will ensure it gets done!

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s government’s failure to provide dignified housing and secure provincially owned buildings has led to the illegal occupation of a condemned building in Mogale City. The Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng conducted an oversight inspection recently at the illegally occupied 49 Blommenstein property in Mogale City, where residents continue to live in appalling and dangerous conditions in a building that has already been condemned.

The building is owned by the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID) and has been occupied by residents in dire need of a place to live without authorisation. Since our last visit last year, the building has deteriorated further. Residents are living without basic services such as water and electricity, surrounded by overgrown grass, rodents, snakes, and other health hazards. No person should live under such inhumane conditions.

Furthermore, the DA Gauteng discovered that GDID owes the Mogale City Municipality approximately R1.9 million. This is further evidence of the ongoing neglect of buildings owned by the provincial government.

This crisis is not new. Concerns around the building date back to 2016, when concerns were first raised and escalated through multiple levels of government. In 2018, then MEC Jacob Mamabolo visited the site, made commitments, and installed limited security measures. However, no meaningful or lasting solution followed.

Lesufi’s government has failed to comply with its constitutional obligations. In terms of Section 26 of the Constitution, the state has a responsibility to ensure that unlawful occupiers are treated with dignity and, where eviction is necessary, residents are provided with alternative accommodation. This has not happened.

The DA Gauteng will not accept this continued failure.

We call on MEC Mamabolo to take immediate responsibility for this property, engage with residents, settle outstanding municipal accounts, and provide a lawful and humane solution, including dignified alternative accommodation where required.

If this situation is not remedied quickly, there is a risk that there could be another incident like Usindiso.

Premier Lesufi’s government cannot claim to care while people live in terrible conditions.

A DA-led Gauteng provincial government would immediately ensure that all government-owned buildings are properly secured and not left vulnerable to vandalism and illegal invasion. Only the DA will fight to restore dignity, accountability, and real service delivery.

The reality is that the department continues to underperform and that the Rapid Land Release Programme (RLRP) is not working. The release of 13,000 serviced stands barely scratches the surface. At the same time, the intended target of delivering 8644 homes in the current year is inconsequential when over 1 million Gauteng citizens remain on the housing waiting list.

The failure of the RLRP is evident in a reply by the Gauteng Human Settlements MEC, Tasneem Motara, to questions posed by the Democratic Alliance (DA). The MEC revealed that the department had acquired 1045,02 hectares of land for R2 billion to develop 10,000 serviced stands, yet only 26 houses had been built on the land as of last year.

See reply here.

This situation raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of the programme and compels us to challenge Premier Lesufi’s statement during the State of the Province Address where he claimed that R100 billion had allocated to human settlements in Gauteng. The Premier should account and explain how these funds have been spent, as there is nothing to show for them on the ground.

The biggest failure and disappointment remain the conceptualisation and implementation of the RLRP. The programme has, since September 2025, been placed on hold “for review and restructuring” after the MEC admitted that the programme was ineffective.

The continued ineffectiveness of the department to complete any of its core programmes in an environment of increased demand highlights the crisis facing the department.

The DA is therefore calling on the Premier and the MEC to urgently outline their vision and concrete plans to overcome these shortfalls and meaningfully address the province’s growing housing challenges.

A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would first assess the Human Settlements department’s capacity to implement the Rapid Land Programme and ensure its rollout follows a collaborative approach, involving all spheres of government, the National Treasury, and the private sector, rather than leaving the programme solely in the hands of the Human Settlements department.

In 2015, the Department of Human Settlements in Gauteng and the City of Johannesburg launched a project to build housing units close to the settlement and save them from the harsh conditions they endure daily.

More than a decade after the project was launched, only one of the six planned phases has been completed. This failure has left residents trapped in uncertainty, with little clarity on timelines, accountability, or credible plans to deliver the remaining phases.

Residents report that repeated attempts to engage government officials and politicians, including Premier Panyaza Lesufi, have produced no meaningful progress, with community inputs frequently dismissed and concerns met with indifference and arrogance.

The matter was again raised at a recent meeting involving Princess residents, surrounding community representatives, Democratic Alliance (DA) public representatives and the office of the MEC and MMC for Human Settlements, in Gauteng and Johannesburg.

Residents say officials failed to provide satisfactory answers, instead offering excuses and shifting responsibility, deepening frustration and reinforcing the fact that housing delivery in Gauteng is failing. This is supported by a recent comment by MEC Motara, that housing backlogs in Gauteng will take decades to resolve.

The Democratic Alliance calls for urgent intervention, which includes making the delivery schedule for the remaining phases of the housing project public, and being transparent when reporting delays, budgets and contractor performance. In addition, there must be structured engagement with residents that results in measurable progress.

A DA-led Gauteng provincial government would immediately apply pressure on the City of Johannesburg to complete the planning for the project. Furthermore, we would conduct regular meetings with the community to provide updates on the project’s progress.

Residents of Princess deserve dignity and delivery, not delays. Surely the time has come to vote for a government that is capable of fixing service delivery, particularly the delivery of houses to our residents.

In Tembisa, a 77-year-old Koko Ncikiza still resides in a tiny backroom that offers little comfort, dignity, and security, despite having applied for housing in 1996 and being eligible to receive one.

See video and photo of Koko Ncikiza here and here.

During the State of the Province Address, Premier Lesufi boasted that his administration had delivered 7,000 housing units in the current financial year. He further claimed that priority is being given to elderly residents and those who have spent years on the waiting list, with a target of building 8,644 houses in the new financial year.

This announcement by Premier Lesufi is a drop in the ocean compared to the housing needs in Gauteng, where the housing waiting list exceeds 1.2 million. Furthermore, the claim that they are prioritising senior citizens and people stuck on the waiting list does not match reality.

Gauteng residents have, for nearly three decades, endured inhumane living conditions sustained by a single, repeated promise: ‘your house is coming’. Meanwhile, the housing waiting continues to balloon with no clear plan or decisive intervention from the Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi-led government to address the backlog.

Many of these residents have aged while waiting for housing. Children have grown up in shacks, knowing no other reality. Senior citizens have been living in overcrowded backyards, and some have died without receiving the houses they applied for as early as 1996.

While deserving residents continue to wait, many abandoned housing projects and incomplete developments stand empty, yet billions are lost to corruption and mismanagement. Money meant to put roofs over the heads of desperate people has enriched the connected few.

See photos of one of the abandoned housing projects here, and here.

A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would fast-track the 1996 housing waiting list, prioritise long-waiting and vulnerable beneficiaries, complete abandoned projects, and act decisively against corruption and queue-jumping that deny deserving residents their homes. This can be done!

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has consistently warned that expanding or formalising settlements across the province without adequate infrastructure undermines human dignity, creates unsafe living conditions, and puts private properties and businesses in the surrounding communities at risk. The City has ignored these warnings, opting for a path that will escalate informal and illegal occupation and create a deepening social housing crisis.

See the photo here.

Equally concerning is the City’s failure to communicate its plans to the ward councillor, affected residents, or business owners. As a result, businesses have already begun leaving Cleveland, destroying the local economy and jobs - a direct consequence of poor and exclusionary decision-making.

The DA will write to the Gauteng Provincial Department of Human Settlements and the City of Johannesburg, calling for an immediate halt to all further construction until all planning processes have been fully reviewed and all affected parties’ voices are heard.

Only the DA can resolve Gauteng’s housing crisis by fast-tracking the formalisation of informal settlements with appropriate upgrades and services, while striking a balance between housing needs and creating a conducive environment for businesses and communities to thrive. United with communities, yes, this can be done!

This dire situation was uncovered during an oversight inspection led by a DA delegation comprising the DA Shadow MEC for Human Settlements, Mervyn Cirota MPL; Member of the Home Affairs Committee, Adrian Roos MP; Member of the Environment Portfolio, Jade Miller MPL; and DA Ward Councillor, Jean Kotze.

A walkabout at the informal settlement revealed that residents are living in squalor, with severe overcrowding and no access to proper sanitation, refuse removal, electricity, or an uninterrupted water supply. The area poses a serious health risk, with piles of waste accumulating and a foul odour lingering in the air. There are also allegations by the residents of the area that 40% of the occupiers of this informal settlement are undocumented foreigners.

See photos here, here, here, here, here, and here.

The impact of this informal settlement is severe; residents in adjacent houses and the nearby golf course are directly affected. The owner of the golf estate lamented that a portion of their land had been encroached upon, while another raised concerns that the informal settlement was severely affecting the environment and property values.

As with many other informal settlements in Gauteng, the failure by the relevant municipalities and provincial authorities to address illegal land invasions and deteriorating health conditions has a continuing and long-term negative effect on the environment for all who live in and near the informal settlements.

Moreover, the informal settlement encroachment on a wetland calls for an immediate environmental assessment study to determine if any interventions are necessary.

The DA will table questions demanding clarity on who is responsible for this informal settlement and will hold them to account for the failure to formalise services and halt further encroachment. There is an urgent need for the Department of Home Affairs to conduct an on-site inspection to determine how many undocumented foreign nationals are living in Pikoko informal settlement.

Restoring dignity to individuals living in informal settlements can be achieved by fast-tracking the provision of permanent housing through the formalisation of the informal settlement with the necessary upgrading and appropriate services. This is precisely what a DA-led Provincial Government would deliver. Yes, it can be done!

The oversight will be led by the DA Spokespersons on Human Settlements, Luyolo Mphithi MP and Conrad Poole MP, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC of Human Settlements, Mervyn Cirota MPL, and DA Councillors Faeaza Chame, Rashieda Landis, and Michael Chriton.

Details of the oversight below:

Date: Thursday, 22 January 2026

Time: 10:00 AM

Meeting Point: Springbok Informal Settlement, Henderson Road, Moffatview

The oversight will cover:

1.⁠ ⁠Springbok Informal Settlement – Henderson Road, Moffatview

2.⁠ ⁠Electron Informal Settlement – Southern Klipriversburg Road, Electron

3.⁠ ⁠Lindokuhle Informal Settlement – Rand Airport Road, Elandspark

4.⁠ ⁠East Road Informal Settlement – The Hill

A DA delegation, including DA Johannesburg East Constituency Head, Dr Jack Bloom MPL, Gauteng Shadow MEC of Human Settlements, Mervyn Cirota, Johannesburg Shadow MMC of Human Settlements, and Cllr Neuren Petersen, inspected Jumpers Informal Settlement on Monday, 03 November 2025.

The inspection revealed that residents are living in filth and poor, unsanitary conditions, with raw sewage flowing close to their homes. It was also impossible to determine how the R59 million allegedly spent on the electrification of the settlements was used.

See photos here, here, here and here.

The only visible evidence of activity in the area is the installation of several poles. Currently, the site is unsuitable for formal development or the construction of housing units, as it lacks the necessary services to support such development.

Furthermore, there is a disturbing matter related to the development of this area whereby three activists who resided in the informal settlement have been murdered.

The DA, both in the City of Johannesburg (COJ) and the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL), will be tabling questions to determine how the amount of R59 million has been spent; what measures are being implemented to curb the proliferation of undocumented foreigners occupying the land; and whether the grant received by COJ for the electrification of Jumpers has been effectively used.

A compassionate DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would not allow this informal settlement to remain in its current state. We would improve living conditions by ensuring access to basic services, including water, electricity, and proper sanitation.

The information about the halted project and the department’s position on Khutsong Hostel was revealed by the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements (GDHS) MEC, Tasneem Motara, in a written reply to DA questions following our oversight inspection at Khutsong Hostel, where we found the facility in a severe state of disrepair.

See photos here, here, here and here.

According to the MEC, Khutsong Hostel has been included in the priority projects since the 2020/21 financial year. This prioritisation led the department to appoint a professional resource team to conduct detailed planning for the Khutsong Extension 8 land parcel aimed at providing a permanent solution for the situation at Khutsong Hostel. The team completed about 80% of the planning work. The finalisation of the planning could not continue due to delays by the Municipality in approving the township application. There are currently no plans to relocate hostel residents to Khutsong Extension 8, as the project has been discontinued.

See full reply here.

The failure to upgrade this hostel or relocate residents to the designated land, despite the project being flagged as a priority, underscores the neglect faced by hostel residents throughout Gauteng. Despite their public commitments to improving the lives of hostel residents, Premier Panyaza Lesufi and MEC Motara have, through their actions and decisions, made conditions even more challenging for these communities. Whenever asked to explain their failure, they blame municipalities, which have already proven incapable of improving hostel conditions.

Premier Lesufi and MEC Motara must stop dilly-dallying and urgently implement the Gauteng Hostel Redevelopment Plan to transform this and other deteriorating hostels into decent, family-oriented housing. Additionally, there must be collaboration between provincial and local governments to improve the lives of our people. This is one of many reasons why the DA has tabled a motion of no confidence against Premier Lesufi. He has failed to deliver all his government promises, and our people continue to live in inhumane and unsanitary conditions.

A caring DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would have ensured the completion of the priority project at Khutsong Extension 8, and the immediate relocation of residents to safer houses rather than the dolomitic area where Khutsong Hostel currently stands. While the project is ongoing, we will ensure that Khutsong Hostel residents have access to basic services, including water, electricity, and other essential amenities.

The DA will continue to hold the Gauteng Provincial Government and Merafong Local Municipality accountable in getting the Khutsong Extension 8 project back on track, so that residents currently living in squalor can finally enjoy safe and dignified housing.

The inspection aims to evaluate the state of K60, a proposed provincial road, and assess the integration feasibility of Rea Vaya and Gautrain linkages between the Midrand and Fourways route. Furthermore, the inspection will assess challenges identified in the informal settlement areas along K60, Chilli Lane, and Clay Oven, including crime, poor service delivery, illegal occupation, poor road safety, overcrowding, and flooding.

The inspection will be led by the DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Human Settlements, Mervyn Cirota MPL. He will be accompanied by:

• DA Spokesperson for Roads and Transport, Nicole Van Dyk MPL.
• DA Fourways Political Head, Patrick Atkinson MP.
• DA Shadow MMC for Human Settlements Johannesburg, Cllr David Brand.
• DA Ward Cllr Vino Reddy.

The media is invited to attend, and there will be an opportunity for interviews and photographs.

Details of the event are as follows:

Date: Friday, 25 September 2025
Time: 09:30
Meeting point: Doppio Zero Sunninghill
Address: 42 Chilli Lane Centre, Leeuwkop Road, Sunninghill, Johannesburg

This follows two separate sexual misconduct scandals at Bronkhorstspruit Primary School and Princehof School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Teachers are implicated in allegations of sexual abuse and improper conduct involving learners.

These incidents highlight the GDE’s failure to implement a thorough vetting process of teachers and staff. This negligence has compromised learner safety and created a dangerous environment that is both traumatic and hindering to the learning process.

What is more concerning is the claim that, in at least one of these cases, the school was informed of the incident as early as 2024, but took no action. This failure to act not only shows gaps in safeguarding learners but also undermines trust between parents, learners, and school leadership.

The DA has repeatedly raised concerns about the department’s inability to adequately vet educators and all other personnel working in schools against both the Child Protection Register and the National Register for Sex Offenders. Our concerns have clearly been ignored, and this has allowed potential offenders to slip through the cracks of a flawed vetting process.

It is high time that MEC Chiloane walks the talk on learner safety. He must immediately suspend the implicated educators and ensure that the legal process is followed. There can be no tolerance for delays or cover-ups when the well-being of children is at stake.

The DA will table questions to the MEC to ascertain the steps, if any, taken by GDE to strengthen vetting procedures. Transparency is essential if the public is to have any confidence in the department’s ability to protect learners.

A Gauteng Provincial Government led by the DA would prioritise proper vetting in our schools. When allegations of improper sexual conduct arise, we would ensure that they are swiftly, fairly, and transparently investigated.

The DA will continue to hold the GDE and its MEC accountable for failing to convert our schools into safe havens for learners instead of trauma sites.

Yesterday, a fire erupted on the upper floor of the four-storey Madala Hostel. The Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) responded quickly and managed to contain the blaze before it could reach the lower levels. Thankfully, there were no injuries; however, the entire top floor was destroyed. The cause of the fire remains unknown, but claims suggest it emerged from a gas stove.

This incident was unfortunately bound to happen, as poor and unsafe living conditions have long plagued the Madala Hostel, compounded by the complete lack of fire safety protocols to protect residents in the event of an emergency.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has consistently highlighted the inhumane conditions at this hostel and appealed to the Gauteng Provincial Government to incorporate it into the Hostel Redevelopment Programme so it can receive the necessary upgrades it urgently needs. However, Premier Lesufi has dismissed our calls, claiming that the hostel is under the control of the City of Johannesburg (COJ), not the provincial government.

Since yesterday’s incident was a lucky escape with no injuries incurred, we have to ask: Are Premier Lesufi and MEC Motara waiting for a disaster of epic proportions before finally incorporating Madala Hostel into the Hostel Redevelopment Programme? And why is MEC Motara today inspecting inner-city hostels through her “Siyeza Nakuwe” initiative, instead of first visiting Madala following the fire?

The DA demands the immediate inclusion of Madala Hostel into the Hostel Redevelopment Programme to address the appalling living conditions endured by residents for many years. Premier Lesufi’s government must stop shifting blame and take the lead in resolving this matter. The time for making empty promises to hostel residents to score cheap political points without meaningfully improving their lives is over.

The DA will table a motion in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) to force the Gauteng Provincial Government to incorporate all 65 hostels in the Provincial Hostel Redevelopment Programme to be converted into family units.

A caring DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would have implemented this programme to ensure that hostel residents, like other citizens of our province, have access to safe and dignified housing with all the basic services such as electricity, water, and proper sanitation.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng discovered this during an oversight inspection at Palm Ridge, confirming that, despite former Premier David Makhura’s undertaking to provide 100,000 housing opportunities, which the current Premier Panyaza Lesufi-led government has sustained, very little has been achieved.

During our engagement with the residents, we identified a lack of planning and handing out of title deeds. Additionally, the allocation of stands lacked transparency, which is particularly concerning. Furthermore, there seems to be no forethought given to how beneficiaries will build and maintain their homes or cover service costs.

It is concerning that the Gauteng government has continued with this programme, despite it being plagued with challenges from the beginning, such as a lack of a reliable delivery plan, an impractical and unaffordable financing solution for beneficiaries, and insufficient institutional capacity for its effective implementation.

It is also unacceptable that the government proceeded with the programme despite knowing that most beneficiaries could not afford to build, secure loans, or pay for services. The scheme required that they self-build within tight deadlines. As a result, many stands have remained vacant and susceptible to invasion.

Furthermore, officials from the department have indicated that over R500 million has been spent on this programme.

The DA demands an urgent forensic investigation and referral of the entire programme to the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) to determine how the allocated funds have been spent. We will raise this issue during the Human Settlements portfolio committee in the Legislature and table written questions to MEC Tanseem Motara to ascertain the success of this programme using Palm Ridge as a case study. We will demand an audit of the programme since its initiation to ascertain whether the beneficiaries were able to build or if the land has been left vacant and vulnerable to illegal invasion.

A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would have thoroughly assessed spending plans and land acquisitions before implementing the Rapid Land Release Programme (RLRP), ensuring beneficiaries receive support to develop and sustain their properties.

We remain committed to holding the incompetent Lesufi’s government accountable for this programme failure despite millions of rands being spent.

Khutsong hostel in Carletonville, Merafong Local Municipality, resembles a scene ravaged by a powerful tornado: a disordered and crumbling environment where residents’ dignity is non-existent. Residents are left to cope with appalling living conditions, marked by rundown infrastructure and a complete absence of basic services. This is despite the Gauteng Provincial Government allocating R161 million for the upliftment and relocation of residents from this decaying hostel.

A Democratic Alliance (DA) delegation recently conducted an oversight inspection at the Khutsong hostel, and we discovered that this hostel is home to approximately 1,500 residents, is plagued by broken windows, deep cracks in the walls, and a complete lack of water supply. Sanitation conditions are deplorable, with raw sewage flowing freely through the yard, where young children play. Furthermore, navigating through the yard has become a hazardous task due to the presence of a web of illegal electricity connections. Wires stretch dangerously from the hostel units to the nearby township, posing serious safety risks to residents. This has led to conflicts with residents of the nearby township, who are frustrated by the power cuts caused by the hostel residents tapping into their electricity supply.

Inside the units, the conditions are less than ideal. The toilets and showers are not functioning, making it difficult for residents to maintain basic hygiene. Additionally, several doors are missing, which compromises both privacy and security. The walls are in a state of disrepair, with peeling paint and extensive damage that adds to the overall sense of neglect.

See photos here, here, here and here.

The residents feel abandoned and forgotten, a sentiment heightened by their frustration that provincial and local government leaders only visit the hostel during election season to make empty promises. Once the votes are cast, these leaders vanish, reappearing only as the next election approaches. The resonating question among them is: Where is the R161 million budgeted to improve conditions in this hostel or relocate them? Why have these units not been converted to family units as promised, and in terms of policy?

In this context, the DA Gauteng demands specific details regarding Gauteng Human Settlements MEC Tasneem Motara’s recently announced R500 million hostel refurbishment project, mentioned during her visit to various inner-city hostels in Johannesburg. In particular, why is this refurbishment an upgrade and not a conversion to family units?

The MEC must now accept that all 65 hostels in Gauteng, not only the six owned by the Gauteng Provincial Government, must be incorporated into the Gauteng Hostel Redevelopment Programme, as Merafong is unwilling and unable to attend to its obligations; this responsibility must now be taken over by the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements.

The DA Gauteng urges Premier Panyaza Lesufi to convert all Gauteng’s hostels into viable family units under the Hostel Redevelopment Programme, rather than shifting the responsibility to incapable municipalities like Merafong.

A DA-led Gauteng provincial government would have implemented the Hostel Redevelopment Programme to ensure that no hostel resident lives in the inhumane conditions witnessed at Khutsong and many hostels we have visited.

Follow Our Work

Despite being a government-sponsored project designed to provide subsidised housing and promote income generation through rental units, K206 has not achieved its main objectives; instead, it has become a source of confusion, social conflict, and loss of dignity for rightful beneficiaries.

This was revealed during a DA oversight visit in Gauteng, prompted by public complaints and the ongoing failure of the City of Johannesburg’s (COJ) Department of Human Settlements to act. Despite being the custodian of the project launched in 2010 under the Alexandra Renewal Project (ARP), the department has failed to address the deepening crisis.

Many residents expressed outrage at the lack of transparency and oversight, with some units being allocated to the wrong occupants or hijacked altogether. One resident, who has been waiting for his title deed since 2010, expressed his frustration over his rental room being illegally occupied with the backing of the so-called “district committee”. Another resident mentioned that legitimate beneficiaries have, at times, been forcibly evicted due to a lack of necessary documentation. A third resident added that the housing allocation confusion stems from the City of Johannesburg’s initial decision to place people without granting them full ownership of either the flat or the rental unit.

See photos here, here and here.

Even more concerning is that residents have approached the Housing Tribunal, the Public Protector, and the South African Human Rights Commission, only to discover that the title deeds are ready, but City of Johannesburg is unable to issue them due to an ongoing dispute stemming from the botched housing allocation.

It is unacceptable that residents have had to wait 15 years to receive their title deeds. Ownership is a vital aspect of human dignity, as it provides individuals with an asset, a roof over their heads, and security of tenure for their families. This essential right should not be compromised by poor administration or potential corruption.

The DA Gauteng demands that the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Jacob Mamabolo and Johannesburg MMC for Human Settlements, Mlungisi Mabaso, launch an urgent forensic audit on the K206’s 6,000 housing units. We seek information on the occupants, rightful owners, the number of units handed over, and the facilitator of this process. Additionally, we want regular updates on the status of title deeds.

A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would ensure that these units are allocated to their rightful owners, and title deeds are issued upon allocation. This would prevent the risk of illegal occupation that has put deserving beneficiaries in limbo.

The DA will persist in pressuring both the City of Johannesburg and the Gauteng Provincial Government to ensure this matter is concluded.

Follow Our Work

See photos here, here, here, here and here.

Their growing concerns about inhumane living conditions remain ignored by the cruel Human Settlements Departments in the City of Johannesburg and the Gauteng Provincial Government.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) demands that all hostels, including the Helen Joseph Women’s Hostel, be included in the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements’ (GDHS) Hostel Redevelopment with the primary purpose of upgrading them into family units.

Despite continuous and repetitive undertakings by the MMC for Human Settlements in the City of Johannesburg to attend to the required short-term maintenance and long-term conversion of Helen Joseph Women’s Hostel into family units, its condition continues to worsen.

These alarming safety and environmental issues were discovered by a DA delegation of national, provincial, and local leaders during an oversight prompted by urgent pleas from the Alexandra community for intervention.

The disgraceful and inhumane treatment of women and children at this hostel is concerning, but not new. The Alexandra Renewal Project reportedly allocated R17 million for the maintenance and upgrade of this hostel. Yet, there is no visible evidence of any improvements on-site. Should we be surprised? No. This project has been plagued by mismanagement, lack of transparency, and persistent allegations of corruption – all of which are the hallmarks of the current Gauteng Provincial Government.

Premier Panyaza Lesufi and MEC Tasneem Motara must heed our call for the immediate incorporation of all Gauteng hostels in the Human Settlements Hostel Redevelopment Plan. Expecting municipalities to upgrade hostels is pointless, as they have shown their incapacity to do so for decades.

The DA will submit formal questions to Parliament and the Gauteng Provincial Legislature demanding transparency on how the funding for the upgrades of Helen Joseph Women’s Hostel was allocated, who was awarded the contracts, and why residents remain in squalor while funds go unaccounted for.

A caring and effective DA-led administration in Gauteng would immediately upgrade existing structures where possible and demolish those that are beyond repair.

Follow Our Work

The DA made this startling discovery yesterday during an oversight inspection. The block of flats remains incomplete with no roof. It has fallen victim to vandalism, with some walls showing signs of burning from individuals who have illegally occupied the premises. The area is dirty and not safe.

We also learned that the project was initiated over a decade ago by the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements before being handed over to Johannesburg Social Housing Company (JOSHCO). A dispute arose between the province and the City of Johannesburg’s human settlements departments, which ultimately caused the entire project to collapse.

See photos here, here and here.

There is a glaring lack of accountability from the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements and the City of Johannesburg. This project should have been completed to provide adequate housing for the dilapidated Dube Hostel residents. It has been allowed to deteriorate, making it susceptible to vandalism and decay, and has become a refuge for criminals.

The DA urges Premier Panyaza Lesufi to investigate the delays affecting this project. The fact that he was not at the helm during the launch of this initiative cannot be used as an excuse, the buck stops with him.

The DA will table questions to the MEC for Human Settlements, Tasneem Motara, to ascertain how much has been spent on this project, who is responsible for completion and why it has been abandoned.

A DA-led Gauteng provincial government would have ensured the completion of this project and ensured adequate bulk infrastructure to benefit the hostel residents.

Follow Our Work

Meanwhile, the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) and the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) are pointing fingers at each other over who should take responsibility for addressing this urgent crisis. The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng condemns the ongoing violations of residents’ human rights and demands immediate action from the GPG and Emfuleni to resolve this sanitation issue.

During a recent oversight inspection, a DA delegation was appalled by the state of the mobile toilets at Ramaphosa Informal Settlements. Residents expressed their frustration over living conditions that resembled those of animals, as they use mobile toilets that were neither cleaned nor maintained.

See photos here, here and here.

This is unacceptable and indicates the Gauteng government’s lack of involvement in municipal affairs. The government’s reactive approach only responds to crises when they hit the headlines—such as the recent attempts to empty the toilets in Ramaphosa Informal Settlement after public outrage. This is disappointing as these quick fixes do not address the real challenges.

The DA will engage Premier Panyaza Lesufi, the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements (GDHS), MEC Tasneem Motara, and the Emfuleni Local Municipality to ensure the consistent and repetitive process of giving proper sanitation at Ramaphosa Informal Settlement and all informal settlements facing the same predicament in our province.

A DA-led Gauteng provincial government would have formalised essential services like sanitation, ensuring that residents of Ramaphosa Informal Settlement receive the dignity they rightfully deserve.

Follow Our Work

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and the City of Johannesburg have succumbed to the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) pressure to commence repairs on Lillian Ngoyi Street, formerly known as Bree Street in the Johannesburg CBD. Following an explosion that occurred nearly two years ago, there has been an outcry from businesses and residents that businesses have shut down resulting in job losses.

A DA delegation including Gauteng Shadow MEC for Human Settlements, Mervyn Cirota, Johannesburg Caucus Leader, Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku, Johannesburg Central Head, Andrew De Blocq MPL and Cllrs in the City of Johannesburg, discovered that the rehabilitation project of Lillian Ngoyi Street is underway. However, we are concerned that the undertaking to complete the work within three months is unrealistic. We estimate that it may take another year.

See photos here and here.

The DA will be tabling questions to the Mayor of Johannesburg and the Premier to ascertain who is responsible for this project, the actual timelines, the budget spent, and the work done thus far. It serves no one for the Gauteng residents to have their hopes raised only for the project to stall.

We also assessed the Usindiso Building, which forms part of the Usindiso Regeneration Block, where 76 people tragically lost their lives in a devastating fire, remains abandoned, with little to no action taken to address this heritage site. We found the building in a state of disrepair and abandonment. No efforts have been made to renovate it, and the fence, which serves as the first line of defence against vandalism and illegal entry has been removed. The surrounding area is also neglected, contributing to zero economic activity.

See photos here and here.

The DA has opened a case of culpable homicide against the CEO of the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC), which manages the Usindiso Building. This action follows the alarming findings of the Khampepe Commission’s recommendation, which the City of Johannesburg has flatly ignored and failed to hold anyone responsible for this tragedy that has left many homeless and forced the City to find alternative accommodation at an additional cost.

This is one of the reasons why the DA has filed a motion of no confidence against the City of Johannesburg Mayor, Dada Morero, who has proven ineffective in holding people accountable. It is also the reason why the DA finds Premier Lesufi unfit for purpose because this is happening under his watch. The DA will continue to put pressure on the local and provincial governments to ensure that heads roll for this preventable tragedy.

A DA-led Gauteng provincial government would have ensured the prompt rehabilitation of Lillian Ngoyi Street by hiring a qualified contractor to complete the work within the established timeline and budget. In addition, we would prioritise the repair of the Usindiso Building and its surrounding area to prevent decay and promote economic activity.

Follow Our Work