Gauteng’s housing crisis: Department fires back at DA over failed land programme

The Gauteng Department of Human Settlements is pushing back against Democratic Alliance claims of widespread delivery failures, pointing to thousands of new housing units as proof of progress.

However, critics say the numbers barely dent a waiting list with more than a million people.

R2 billion spent, 26 houses built?

The DA argued that the province’s Rapid Land Release Programme has collapsed under the weight of poor planning and weak implementation by the department.

DA Gauteng shadow MEC for human settlements, Mervyn Cirota, said the numbers tell a damning story.

“Since 2020, the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements has released only about 13 000 serviced stands – a figure that falls short of addressing Gauteng’s growing housing demand,” said Cirota.

The DA’s concerns deepen when examining how the land acquired for the programme has been used.

According to Cirota, MEC Tasneem Motara confirmed in a reply to DA questions that the department spent R2 billion acquiring just more than 1 000 hectares of land intended to yield 10 000 serviced stands.

The party said that as of last year, only 26 houses had been built on that land.

“This situation raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of the programme,” Cirota said.

She added that it also cast doubt on Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s State of the Province claim that R100 billion had been 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 party called on both the premier and the MEC to urgently outline concrete plans to address the province’s growing housing shortfall, noting that even the department’s own annual target of 8 644 homes is inconsequential against a waiting list that now exceeds one million Gauteng residents.

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Department says delivery is real, and Riverside View proves it

The department rejected what it described as misleading characterisations of its performance, saying that progress across multiple programmes was being deliberately ignored.

“The claim that the department is ‘unable to complete any of its core programmes’ is factually incorrect and ignores the substantial progress being made across multiple housing programmes in Gauteng,” it said.

Furthermore, it pointed to the handover of 168 fully subsidised housing units at the Riverside View Mega City development in Johannesburg as concrete evidence of delivery.

The beneficiaries included elderly residents, people living with disabilities and families who had spent years waiting for housing.

According to the department, Riverside View is “one of Gauteng’s most successful integrated human settlements developments”.

It added that it shows how large-scale projects can deliver quality housing, infrastructure and economic opportunities simultaneously.

Beyond bricks and mortar, the development integrates schools, parks, community facilities, business sites and social amenities designed to support sustainable communities.

“Once completed, Riverside View will yield over 10 000 housing opportunities,” the department said.

It added that the project has already generated more than 12 000 job opportunities, including work for local small businesses and community members.

“The development is being implemented on time and within budget, with strong private sector participation and strict adherence to quality standards,” the department said.

31 mega projects, 18 under construction

Riverside View sits within a broader provincial strategy.

The department said its Mega Projects Programme was designed to shift away from fragmented housing delivery toward large-scale, integrated developments positioned closer to economic centres.

31 mega projects have been identified across Gauteng, with 18 currently under construction, 11 at the detailed planning stage and two at the early planning stage.

The department said the programme “represents a fundamental shift away from fragmented housing delivery towards integrated human settlements, ensuring that residents live closer to services, employment and economic nodes.”

It added that the developments would collectively deliver tens of thousands of housing opportunities across different income groups while integrating infrastructure, transport access and economic opportunity into settlement planning.

The DA, however, was unconvinced that scale alone would address the structural problems it had identified.

Cirota argued that the continued failures of the department’s core programmes are in a province where housing demand is only growing. points to a systemic crisis rather than isolated implementation problems.

“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,” he said.

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Programme ‘under review’: restructuring or retreat?

At the heart of the dispute is the Rapid Land Release Programme, which has been on hold since September 2025.

The department acknowledged the pause but framed it as routine governance rather than a concession of failure.

“Programme reviews are a normal part of public sector management and are aimed at improving implementation rather than abandoning delivery objectives,” it said, adding that it “remains committed to strengthening the programme so that it better complements existing housing delivery mechanisms.”

The DA sees it differently. Cirota noted that MEC Motara herself admitted the programme was ineffective.

Waiting list tops one million as both sides claim the moral high ground

With more than a million Gauteng residents still on the housing waiting list, the political stakes of this dispute are considerable.

The department insists the system is functioning across a range of programmes, maintaining that it is “actively delivering housing opportunities and building integrated communities across the province.”

The DA said the volume of delivery remains wholly inadequate relative to the scale of need, and that billions in public funds cannot be justified by the outputs visible on the ground.

“The reality is that the department continues to underperform and that the Rapid Land Release Programme is not working,” Cirota said. “The release of 13 000 serviced stands barely scratches the surface.”

The department said it would continue working with municipalities, developers and communities to expand access to housing, with a focus on developments that are “financially sustainable, well planned and supported by the necessary infrastructure.”

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