Housing backlog 150 years

GAUTENG: MORE THAN 1.3 MILLION PEOPLE ARE STILL ON GAUTENG LIST FOR NEW HOMES

- Jabulile Mbatha

It is going to take 150 years to clear the housing backlog in Gauteng if the department of human settlements continues to build, on average, only 9 000 houses a year.

This is according to the DA's human settlements portfolio committee member, Evert du Plessis, who added: "This is based on the fact that the department only delivered 43 050 (3.3%) houses in five years".

After 30 years of democracy, the department has admitted more than 1.3 million people are still on the housing list, waiting for a roof over their heads in the province.

One of the people is 55-year-old Nomusa Xhakaza, who applied in 1997, and to date has not received the house.

"For years I was told to wait and then, in 2020, when I went to [the human settlements] offices, I was told my name had been approved for housing and that it was at Kaalfontein," said Xhakaza.

"However, when it was time to move, I was told someone else had occupied my house and the story changed. They told me I had taken too long to accept the house so they gave it to someone who had paid R100 000 for it."