Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Estelle Pretorius and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Kabelo Moreeng.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Tswelopele will table an urgent proposal to the local municipality and the Department of Human Settlements, requesting the release of land for housing development and the provision of serviced erven to residents in rural areas.
The rapidly growing number of people in Tswelopele’s rural areas is in desperate need of plots and has reached a crisis point. The situation on the ground is devastating: countless families are forced to live in overcrowded one-bedroom shacks without access to the most basic services such as running water, sewerage, and electricity.
What makes this crisis even more unbearable is that most of these households rely solely on social grants for their survival. This means they cannot afford to buy erven from the municipality, even if they were available. Yet the harsh reality is that no plots are currently available to meet the urgent demand for housing.
This is not just a housing issue; it is a matter of human dignity. Families are being denied their constitutional right to adequate shelter and basic services. The backlog continues to grow while our most vulnerable residents are left behind.
The DA in Tswelopele calls on the local government and the Department of Human Settlements to urgently:
- Release land for housing development.
- Prioritise affordable erven allocations for indigent families.
- Provide the necessary bulk infrastructure to ensure that the plots come with essential services.
- Develop a transparent and fair housing allocation system that restores dignity to those who have waited for years.
Our rural communities cannot continue to suffer in shacks and overcrowded conditions. We need decisive action now to address the urgent need for housing and ensure that every family has the opportunity to live with dignity and safety.