The State of the Province Address (Sopa) Housing Initiative Co-operative responded to recent land occupation coverage in Eldorado Park’s exts 4 and 6, saying they were not afforded the right to reply in earlier reports.

According to the Sopa, it has consistently engaged with the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements (DoHS) and the Gauteng Housing Crisis Committee (GHCC) on open pockets of land in Eldorado Park.

Jocelyn Bantam, the Sopa CEO, said their approach has always prioritised lawful processes, community dignity and sustainable development.

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“Operation Occupation is not a solution. Illegal land occupations undermine lawful development, reduce property values, increase insurance premiums, and often lead to the withholding of bulk infrastructure, worsening hardships for poor households,” said Bantam.

The Sopa added that formal meetings with the MMC for Human Settlements, Mlungisi Mabaso, assured them the provincial authorities were engaged and that lawful processes would guide land allocation.

Despite this, the Sopa claims the GHCC and DoHS acted unilaterally and attempted to shift blame onto the co-operative, which insists on transparency and due diligence.

The Sopa highlighted systemic failures in housing allocations, citing Fleurhof and Jabulani as examples:

• Fleurhof: Elderly beneficiaries were allocated units without being informed. Some remain in unsafe, flood-prone shacks, while others discovered strangers occupying their intended homes. Some were told to return in 2026, leaving them in undignified conditions.

• Jabulani: Families were allocated units in a development that has remained largely uninhabitable for five years due to no electricity and essential infrastructure. Meanwhile, nearby areas continue to receive funding for upgrades and expansion, illustrating unequal resource allocation.

“These failures are not accidental. They are systemic, repeated and deeply harmful,” said the Sopa, calling for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to investigate all the DoHS projects in Eldorado Park, including allocations, budgets, land decisions and governance processes.

The Sopa also expressed concern over what it described as “escalating rhetoric” from the GHCC, which, it says, misleads the community into believing the Sopa opposes land occupation.

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The Sopa maintains it supports lawful access to land that guarantees essential services, infrastructure, security of tenure and dignity.

“Given the current threats and misrepresentation, we are considering seeking protection through the SAPS and the courts to safeguard our members and leadership,” the co-operative added.

The Sopa concluded with a call for integrity, accountability and community-focused leadership, insisting Eldorado Park residents deserve sustainable housing, fair allocation processes and leadership that serves the public interest rather than personal agendas.

The GHCC rejected the Sopa’s claims as false, inflammatory and divisive, describing them as an attack on long–standing community leadership and decades of housing activism.

In response to the Sopa’s claims about Fleurhof and Jabulani, the GHCC denied handling housing allocations, stating that allocations are made by the provincial government.

The GHCC maintained it had followed all protocols and invited the Sopa to take complaints to the NPA if they believed wrongdoing occurred.

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The Soweto Urban contacted the office of the Joburg MMC for Human Settlements, but no response was received at the time of publication.

Brief background

The fallout between the Sopa and the GHCC stems from differing visions for the same land. Both want housing for the community, but with different approaches.

The former promotes affordable, self–funded alternatives if the government cannot build. Sopa chairperson Ahmedd Stiglingh said one proposed solution was American cabins, initially priced at R215 000 each, with instalments of R399 monthly for Sassa recipients and R999 monthly for low–income earners under R7 000.

These amounts were framed as long–term instalments toward ownership, covering services like electricity, water and refuse.

The GHCC maintains that the land is earmarked for RDP houses, which are free and fully subsidised to support poverty–stricken families.

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Housing officials reportedly told both sides that two competing visions for the same land made it difficult to proceed with either.

Aisha Hendricks, the CEO of the Black Entrepreneur Alliance Women’s Chapter, said they facilitated a meeting between the two organisations to discuss housing issues since they shared a common goal.

She said she was unaware of the differences that led to the fallout, but the platform was created for such discussions.

The GHCC and the Sopa expressed interest in continuing talks to find a solution for the people of Eldorado Park.