Housing backlog leaves elderly residents in cramped conditions across Gauteng
Decades-long housing promises in Gauteng remain unfulfilled, with elderly residents like 77-year-old Koko Ncikiza still living in cramped backrooms, while government reports delivery of 7 000 homes this year amid a backlog of over 1.2 million applicants.
Residents in Gauteng continue to struggle with housing promises dating back to 1996.
Many have been forced to find alternative solutions, living in cramped backrooms and inhumane conditions alongside their families.
In the recent State of the Province address, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi stated that his administration had delivered 7 000 housing units in the current financial year.
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He noted that elderly residents and those on long-standing waiting lists are a priority under the Housing Allocations Policy, with a new target of building 8 644 houses in the upcoming financial year.
Yet in Thembisa, 77-year-old Koko Ncikiza still lives in a small backroom. She applied for housing in 1996 and is eligible, but has yet to receive her home.
Khathutshelo Rasilingwane, DA Thembisa North Constituency head, said Premier Lesufi’s announcement does not reflect the actual housing needs in Gauteng.
“The housing waiting list exceeds 1.2 million. The claim that senior citizens and long-standing applicants are being prioritised does not match reality,” Rasilingwane said.
City of Ekurhuleni officials explained that the national Department of Human Settlements faces a significant housing backlog, which requires substantial budgets. The shortage of suitable land also contributes to the long delays in providing housing.
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“The backlog is huge, and all spheres of government are seized with addressing this, particularly the plight of the elderly, people with disabilities, and those who have been on the waiting list for years,” said City of Ekurhuleni spokesperson Zweli Dlamini.
The city’s Human Settlements Department added that Gauteng residents cannot be given a specific timeframe for housing allocations, as construction depends on budgets allocated by both provincial and national government.
