There’s a ray of hope for activists trying to solve Cape Town’s housing crisis, but they fear it’s one they’ve seen before.
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala says he’s not opposed to releasing unused military and state land in the city for social housing.
Housing activists have been calling on national government to hand over parcels of land in Ysterplaat, Wingfield and Youngsfield.
They say more than 60,000 houses could be built on these properties.
Cape Town and Western Cape Government leaders have also asked national government to release the land.
The idea has been touted for almost five years, but there hasn’t been much progress.
When Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille was in Zikalala’s post she said the Defence Department had commissioned a feasibility study, but that’s not seen the light of day.
Zikalala, however, says where there’s a proven need, the land will be released.
” We working on it, and we are going to release pieces of land that are not utilised as per the plan with the national department of Human Settlements and the Housing Development Agencies. When there’s a need and property we will release those”.
