HOUSE CRISIS REQUIRES PLANNING, PARTICIPATION AND POLITICAL COURAGE

Beneath all the glitter of Johannesburg, the so-called City of Gold, lies a harsh reality: unregulated housing is tearing at the city’s social fabric and degrading its natural environment.

- Edwin Simelane

The risks of unregulated housing zones are stark. Recent events such as the Lillian Ngoyi Street gas explosion in 2023 underline the gravity of neglect in urban spaces. Journalist and inner-city social impact entrepreneur Nickolaus Bauer highlights how such disasters exacerbate existing urban problems: unreliable electricity, failing water systems and mounds of uncollected waste, all contributing to public health risks and social decay.

Johannesburg's Gini coefficient of 0.61 reflects one of the world’s highest levels of income inequality. Studies reveal that poverty, a lack of affordable housing and historic political decisions have driven the spread of informal settlements.