Communities and social movements across the Western Cape are facing an indefinite wait for housing development, three years after formally requesting access to 24 parcels of state-owned land. Despite a high-level intervention initiated by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 23 August 2023, the promised processing of these sites has stalled, leaving thousands in urgent need of shelter.
Following a march to the President’s residence in August 2023, the Department of Human Settlements and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure were instructed to form an Inter-Ministerial Task Team to evaluate the land applications under the State Land Disposal Act of 1961. The Housing Development Agency (HDA) was subsequently mandated to assess the 24 identified parcels, with the agency confirming that 12 of those sites were suitable for residential development.
The silence of the state is what forces us to take the necessary measures. We cannot live on the housing waiting list forever. The state wanted to introduce sites and services, and we wanted to meet them halfway by identifying suitable sites and the laws that could help fast-track the process. However, it is clear that the state has no sense of urgency when it comes to resolving the housing crisis.
Hlubikazi Mayekiso, representing the social movement Social Distance in Khayelitsha, expressed deep frustration over the lack of communication from government departments. The ongoing delay occurs against a backdrop of rising costs for the provincial government, which has reported spending over R1.5 billion on security and legal measures related to illegal land occupations over the past five years.
The impasse underscores the deepening disconnect between civil society organisations advocating for land reform and the state’s approach to property management. While the Western Cape government frequently cites the risks and costs associated with land invasions, which often occur on hazardous or unserviceable terrain, community activists argue that the lack of official release of designated land directly contributes to the pressure that fuels these occupations.
The lack of progress highlights a structural failure in the coordination between national land disposal authorities and provincial housing delivery targets. Without a clear timeline or feedback from the Inter-Ministerial Task Team, the 12 parcels deemed viable for housing remain vacant and underutilised, even as the demand for formal, serviced housing continues to escalate.
We are currently confirming the current status of the Inter-Ministerial Task Team with a spokesperson for the Department of Human Settlements. Further updates will be provided as soon as officials respond to queries regarding the 18 September 2026 reporting deadline and the lack of progress on the HDA-identified sites.