The Executive Mayor has vowed to improve the allocation of public housing stock to the City’s indigents, in a bid to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in Johannesburg.

“All units will go to the rightful beneficiaries who are qualifying, especially the elders who have been waiting since 1996-1999,” Cllr Geoff Makhubo explains.

Johannesburg is currently the most populous city in South Africa, with over 5 million residents. The municipality is constantly faced with the pressure of in-migration and the growth of peri-urban and informal settlements. It has experienced one of the largest growth rates in the country, with more than 200 informal settlements spread across all quadrants.

The Mayor says this stark reality has given rise to the need for improved urban infrastructure for sustainable human settlements that promote social integration, something he’s passionate about.

He concedes that Joburg needs new residential suburbs to eliminate informal housing.

“In order to ensure liveable communities and shelter, the City intends to focus on the lack of housing,” he says.

Cllr Makhubo adds that plans are afoot to de-densify and upgrade informal settlements across the metro to mitigate the sprouting of illegal structures.

“Such upgrades are geared towards creating more sustainable and liveable settlements through encouraging in-situ improvements to informal settlements,” he explains.

He adds that the conservative approach to housing, which relies on the construction of RDPs to eradicate informal settlements is too slow to make meaningful inroads.

“Where suitable, the City is expanding on the site and service model by providing residents who wish to construct their own homes with serviced stands,” he explains.

To bolster the property market in the Inner City, Cllr Makhubo notes that the municipality will offer affordable rental units to low-income households. He’s warned those invading housing units or land to desist from such acts of lawlessness and anarchy. “We will not tolerate it, no spaces will be invaded in Johannesburg.”

Cllr Makhubo says the City will continue to develop Joburg’s infrastructure to include not only housing but schools, hospitals, police stations and commercial spaces.

“We cannot turn a blind eye when land is invaded, we have to act against these criminal syndicates,” he says.