Johannesburg - Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements Lebogang Maile said the province might not be able to supply the huge housing demand with more than a million looking for RDP houses.
The MEC was speaking on Monday at the site of a new housing development in Randfontein, on the West Rand.
Maile took the media on a tour of several sites of construction where RDP and low-cost homes were being constructed. He also handed over title deeds to a number beneficiaries of a development near Carletonville.
“Gauteng has a huge backlog. We have around a million people looking for houses and when you look at our budget you can build for at least 15 000 to 20 000 of what we call RDP houses,” Maile said.
He said Gauteng had more than 230000 new residents coming into the province every year. He said the province was embarking on other ways of providing decent human settlements.
One option was releasing vacant land to those who can build for themselves. The process would enable some to get finance from the banks to build.
“We are the economic hub. We account for 40% of industrial activities that are taking place in the country. It’s not just about building RDPs for people. That’s why we have the rapid land release programme,” the MEC said.
New Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said the government would improve its communication on their plans for social housing to help people distinguish between government projects and scams, such as the South Jozi housing scam.
The Star