A housing scheme aimed at giving 100 000 beneficiaries fully serviced plots of land has seen ambitions unrealised
A land ownership scheme to empower the building of assets has not realised its intended goals.
The Rapid Land Release Programme (RLRP) envisioned the handing over of fully serviced plots of land across Gauteng for recipients to develop homes to their own specifications.
However, roughly seven years after its launch, the vast majority of stands remain empty, despite having been allocated to beneficiaries.
99% of plots still vacant
The RLRP was launched in 2018 by then premier David Makhura and was continued during Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s administration.
The programme featured roughly 100 000 fully serviced stands and moved away from providing the turnkey apartments common in other social housing projects.
The provincial government stated four years ago that the stands were ready for allocation, but to date, only a fraction of stands have seen development.
At a recent oversight visit to Palm Ridge Ext 14 by the DA, officials explained that of the 2 200 stands allocated to recipients in the area, only 13 had seen any construction.
Speaking to community members, DA representatives were told how constant delays, broken promises and a lack of support had left the stands bare.
“There seems to be no forethought given to how beneficiaries will build and maintain their homes or cover service costs,” stated DA Gauteng shadow Human Settlements MEC Mervyn Cirota.
“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.”
MEC disputes figures
However, Gauteng Human Settlement MEC Tasneem Motara disputed the figures, saying the DA’s claims of more than 2 000 undeveloped stands was “factually incorrect”.
“The project comprises of 758 stands which were developed in 2021/2022 financial year, all of which have been allocated, with title deed registration currently underway,” Motara told The Citizen.
The MEC said the 758 stands were part of the broader project called the Ikagelang RLRP and that beneficiaries were approved in line with the National Housing Needs Register and have their ownership linked with housing subsidy systems.
Once obtaining the title deeds, beneficiaries receive full ownership; with the only proviso that developments meet municipal planning and building regulations.
Motara clarified that under the RLRP, beneficiaries did not need to wait until receiving title deeds to begin construction as the stands had services pre-installed and were given certified letters of allocation.
“This document enables beneficiaries to apply for building plan approval from the municipality and to commence construction in line with municipal building regulations.
“In short, the allocation letter is the enabling instrument, beneficiaries are not left in limbo.
“Palm Ridge Ext 14 therefore remains a key element of our broader human settlements strategy, contributing to both land ownership and spatial transformation,” Motara said.
‘Defeats the purpose’
The DA claims that the project has cost at least R500 million so far and is calling for the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to look into the whereabouts of the funds.
“Palm Ridge is just a small microcosm of the whole RLRP. There is no indication whether a transfer has taken place so there may be an allocation, but that is only the first step,” Cirota told The Citizen.
Cirota noted the project suffered from insufficient funding, a hold up in deeds transfers and failure to assist beneficiaries with planning.
“It is a multi-pronged attack, and if one of those elements falls away, then the whole process comes tumbling down.
“What is the purpose of having the land if you cannot build a house on the land or maintain the property. It defeats the whole purpose of the whole project,” Cirota said.
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