As South Africa marks Human Rights Month, the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality is set to begin Phase 2 of the redevelopment of Dark City and Silver City hostels, as part of efforts to restore dignity and advance the right to adequate housing.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to reinforce this commitment when he conducts a site visit to the Dark and Silver City Community Residential Units (CRU) in Mangaung on Thursday afternoon.
The visit comes as government continues to position housing delivery as central to the realisation of human rights, particularly for low-income households still affected by apartheid-era spatial planning and inadequate living conditions.
The second phase of the project, to begin in April 2026, and expected to run until March 2027, will build on progress already made in transforming the ageing hostels into sustainable, family-oriented rental housing.
This follows the completion of Phase 1, which delivered 130 residential units, 100 at the bottom site and 30 at the top site with water and electricity infrastructure now in place through prepaid systems.
A Facility Management Company has been appointed to oversee the administration and tenanting of the completed units, with the first group of tenants expected to occupy units from April 2026. The process will be rolled out incrementally.
The redevelopment forms part of broader government interventions aimed at addressing historical inequalities in access to housing and basic services. Through programmes such as the Community Residential Units (CRU) and Breaking New Ground policy, government has sought to transform former hostels into integrated, well-located human settlements.
These efforts are aligned with the constitutional right to access adequate housing, as well as government’s commitment to improving living standards through the provision of water, sanitation, electricity and secure tenure.
The Dark City and Silver City hostels have long been associated with overcrowding and deteriorating infrastructure, conditions that undermine residents’ dignity and quality of life.
At the start of the project, Silver City hostel consisted of 314 units with limited communal ablution facilities serving about 1 248 residents, while Dark City had 128 rooms accommodating more than 2 000 people, with shared kitchens and toilets.
Government first introduced the Hostel Redevelopment Programme in 2001 to address these conditions. Mangaung Municipality began implementing upgrades in 2009, including the provision of basic services such as water, sanitation, electricity and roads.
As part of the initial redevelopment, the hostels were reconfigured to accommodate approximately 619 family units, along with 121 RDP houses for qualifying beneficiaries.
Despite this, the project has faced significant challenges, including delays, contractor non-performance and vandalism of construction sites. The Auditor-General also identified material irregularities linked to project implementation.
Government has, however, maintained that stabilising and accelerating such projects is critical to restoring public trust and ensuring that communities benefit from improved living conditions.
The Provincial Department of Human Settlements said the project remains a key intervention in advancing spatial transformation and delivering dignified rental housing on well-located land.
Once complete, the units will be handed over to the municipality, which will take over long-term management and maintenance in line with CRU programme guidelines. – SAnews.gov.za
