The financially troubled municipality had 638 units that were built within a period of nine months in 2020, making the Free State the province that has spent most money on temporary shelters. 

According to the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation, Lindiwe Sisulu, the lack of housing and mushrooming of informal settlements in the country is still a major challenge. 

Responding to the EFF’s questions about government-built shacks, also referred to as Temporary Residential Units, Sisulu in a written parliamentary reply indicates that the province of the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng and Limpopo had most temporary units built by her department since January 2020.

Of these provinces, the Free State’s Maluti-A-Phofung Municipality had the highest number of temporary units, followed by Buffalo City Municipality in the Eastern Cape, and the City of Tshwane in Gauteng.

Her response on the Temporary Residential Units comes amidst growing outrage over increasing government-built shacks among opposition parties, stating that they are an insult to the poor and should be rejected.

The Human Settlements Department drew much controversy last year when Limpopo Premier, Stan Mathabatha, launched 40 shacks valued at R2.4 million for residents in the Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality.

The Limpopo government had allegedly paid R6 000 for each unit as part of the new multimillion-rand government temporary housing scheme.

Following this, the Free State Human Settlements Department also got under fire for erecting over 500 shacks at Harrismith for residents that were relocated from informal settlements.

The department said the shacks had cost more than R22 000 each, including the relocation and a toilet per household.

Meanwhile, the EFF says government-built shacks and Temporary Residential Units, as referred to by the government, are not adequate and that Sisulu must urgently outline a comprehensive plan to address housing issues in the country.

OFM News