Pretoria – The Gauteng province is hosting the Gauteng Human Settlements Lekgotla on Friday which aims to address the province’s challenges of shelter for new residents flocking into the province.
Gauteng accounts for less than 2 percent of South Africa’s land mass, is home to more than 12 million people and yet continues to attract thousands of people, leaving the province with a huge challenge of ensuring that there is shelter for the new residents.
“Responding and dealing with this challenge of radically transforming our society will need proper planning, coordination and cooperation amongst all spheres of government, hence the hosting of the Gauteng Human Settlements Lekgotla, which will be held this weekend,” MEC Jacob Mamabolo said on Thursday.
“This province finds itself in a unique situation. Our population grows faster due to rapid urbanisation and in-migration as a result of people coming here to look for opportunities.
“While the demand is usually higher than the supply, we have to find ways of ensuring that we respond positively to this growing need of houses.
“Over the next two days, we will be hosting a dialogue with all municipalities in Gauteng to consolidate our plans into one massive human settlements programme for the entire Gauteng City Region,” MEC Mamabolo said.
The gathering is also expected to make pronouncements on the implementation of a new mega city expected to radically transform the human settlements landscape in Gauteng.
The Human Settlements Lekgotla will be held under the theme “Building New Cities to Transform Spatial Patterns and Revitalise Township Economy”.
This gathering of human settlements leaders in Gauteng, including all municipalities, will map the radical steps to transform the spatial configuration and landscape of the province through better and coordinated land use management and spatial development.
Despite creating more than one million housing opportunities in the last 20 years, Gauteng still faces challenges of informal settlements, new and ever-increasing demand for houses, land scarcity, dolomite, invasion of land and RDP houses, and many others.
The housing backlog in Gauteng, which stands at just under 700 000, has necessitated a major review of the housing provision in the province in an attempt to meet the need.
“One of the problems compounding our challenges is slum lords and shack farmers who continue to exacerbate the informal housing space by renting backyard shacks in return of financial gains, making thousands of rands from desperate people looking for accommodation. Such practices are turning our cities into slums and the gathering should find solutions.
“Our housing programmes must assist to eliminate such problems and the Lekgotla will find ways of and a holistic approach to housing challenges of Gauteng.
“The approach must include eradication/formalisation of informal settlements, mixed housing developments, rental housing, community residential units (formerly hostels), gap market and so on,” MEC Mamabolo said.
Gauteng Premier David Makhura is expected to address the Lekgotla today. – SAnews.gov.za
