Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane has outlined an ambitious plan to unblock and complete more than 200 stalled housing projects across South Africa as government moves to address long-standing delays affecting thousands of households.
Responding to questions for oral reply in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Tuesday, Simelane said the Department of Human Settlements has, as of the 2025/2026 financial year, targeted to unblock about 212 projects classified as blocked, abandoned or stalled.
“These projects are collectively valued at approximately R37 billion,” she said.
She said the intervention is informed by provincial business plans aimed at accelerating delivery and restoring affected developments.
The Free State has been identified as the hardest-hit province with 154 unblocked projects requiring urgent intervention. She said many of these developments were left incomplete due to contractor abandonment and poor workmanship.
“In some instances, only foundations or slabs were laid, while in others, the materials were not of good quality, resulting in the product that is not satisfactory.”
The Minister noted that while Gauteng has 12 blocked projects, these often involve mega projects, usually hostels and their upgrades affecting a significant number of households, rather than a small number of housing units.
Across other provinces, the department has identified nine stalled projects in KwaZulu-Natal, four in Limpopo, two in Mpumalanga, and three in the Northern Cape.
While the Eastern Cape has no officially stalled projects, Simelane highlighted ongoing challenges related to mud housing, which she said require targeted intervention due to delays in previous programmes.
In the North West, 21 large-scale or “mega” projects have been identified, many of which serve between 500 and 800 households per development. Administrative delays were cited as a key factor affecting progress in the province.
The Western Cape has seven blocked projects, with delays largely attributed to infrastructure constraints, land availability challenges, and legal disputes that have stalled implementation.
“Most of the projects will emanate even from a court outcome or a court finding, or in the middle, they will take one another to court, and that stalls projects. We have taken steps to make sure that there's multiple interventions and ratifications.
“We …have a team in terms of suspension of payments where the quality and work has not been done, and submission to [the Department of] Public Works in relation to contractors who don't comply,” the Minister said.
She said the department is prioritising projects that have been delayed for more than 10 years or more, particularly in the North West and the Free State.
“We are focusing particularly on projects dating back to between 2006 and 2014 to ensure their reactivation and completion,” she said.
Government is also working to unlock the Community Residential Units (CRU) programme and improve bulk infrastructure provision through targeted allocations within housing grants.
Simelane revealed that during the 2024/2025 financial year, more than 200 projects were identified for unblocking, resulting in the delivery of at least 815 housing units nationwide.
She added that the department is strengthening support to provinces through conditional grants to ensure that stalled projects are prioritised and completed. This includes interventions in emergency housing and disaster-affected areas, particularly in rural provinces.
“In provinces like KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, some projects were delayed due to disasters and slow responses, leaving beneficiaries without homes for extended periods.”
Simelane noted that progress has been made in relocating some communities affected by previous disasters, including flood victims in parts of KwaZulu-Natal, although several projects remain ongoing.
The Minister reaffirmed government’s commitment to ensuring that incomplete housing projects are finalised and that affected communities are not left behind. – SAnews.gov.za
