The South African Institute of Race Relations (IRR) has released a report on what it describes as the “extraordinary successes that the African National Congress (ANC) has achieved in housing delivery since coming into office”.

According to IRR CEO, Dr Frans Cronjé, “the data we reveal shows that in 1996 there were 3 432 002 black-African families residing in formal housing, but by 2014 that number had increased to 9 432 000 or by 5 990 998 or by 174,6 per cent.

“As for informal housing the number of people living in shacks increased from 1 386 637 to 1 933 000 or by 546 363 or 39,4 per cent.

Our calculations indicate that 912 black-African families have moved into a formal house every day since 1996 while the number moving into a shack was just 83.

“The housing policy of the government, therefore, saw more than ten black families move into a formal house for every one such family that moved into a shack.

“Overall we are able to show that the proportion of black families living in a formal house has increased from 52,5 per cent to 75,4 per cent over the past twenty years.”

The IRR has long held that the ANC has achieved more success in service delivery than it is given credit for.

Cronjé said that “these numbers again corroborate that argument”.

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