Statement by Bonginkosi Madikizela MP – DA Spokesperson on Public Works and Infrastructure:
The DA welcomes Minister MacPherson’s commitment to release state land for housing, particularly military land in Cape Town. The City of Cape Town is one of the fastest growing metros due to in-migration; the housing backlog is over 600 000 households. The housing backlog has grown significantly in recent years, making the release of well-located land an urgent priority.
The City of Cape Town has been working hard to tackle the housing crisis, providing more affordable housing than any other metro and building communities that are better located and connected to jobs and services. However, its efforts have been held back by the slow release of suitable state-owned land.
For years, the Provincial Government of the Western Cape and the City of Cape Town have been engaging National Government on the release of Wingfield and Youngsfield in order to build affordable houses. These are former military land parcels that have not been utilised for years. Some parts are now illegally occupied. Cape Town has five military bases, an unusual concentration for a single City, and studies show that Wingfield, Youngsfield and Ysterplaat alone could deliver at least 67 000 homes for low-income households.
This call by Minister MacPherson will unlock these land parcels to accommodate hundreds of thousands of people who have been waiting for years on the housing list. This is the kind of leadership we need – decisive, with urgency in dealing with our challenges.
