​​​Residents of Dlamini, Soweto, have rejected the City of Johannesburg’s proposed Informal Settlement Policy during a recent stakeholder engagement session — a response that contrasts with more constructive consultations held in other parts of the city. The City is currently conducting consultations on its Informal Settlements Upgrade Programme (ISUP), a government-led initiative aimed at improving living conditions in informal settlements.

Through this programme, the City intends to provide basic services and infrastructure to restore dignity to communities often living without formal amenities.

The ISUP is guided by the National Housing Code and the Upgrading of Informal Settlements Programme — national frameworks aimed at transforming informal areas into sustainable human settlements. The City maintains that its policy process is intended to align with these frameworks and ensure the programme works for the communities it’s designed to serve.

However, Dlamini residents expressed deep scepticism. “We’ve waited for years, some of us for decades, for the RDP houses we were promised,” said resident Buyiswa Majola. “This new policy just feels like another delay tactic. We don’t need more policies — we need houses. The City must prioritise completing and allocating RDP homes for our families.”

Frustration boiled over during the engagement as residents criticised what they see as a disjointed approach to housing delivery. While acknowledging that some services have improved, the community stressed that delivering RDP houses remains the most urgent need.

Their message to the City was clear: fast-track the provision of RDP housing and urgently tackle the long-standing housing backlog.

Written by Dr Karabo Semenya