Western Cape Will Take 1274 Years to Eliminate Informal Settlements

GOOD Statement by Brett Herron, GOOD Secretary-General & Member of the Western Cape Parliament:

If the Western Cape Government continues upgrading informal settlements at its current rate of one per year, it will take 1274 years to provide dignified living circumstances for all who live in the province.

That’s according to figures provided by Western Cape MEC for Infrastructure Tertuis Simmers in response to questions posed by GOOD Party MPL Brett Herron.

In April, Herron asked Simmers how many informal settlements were upgraded in the 2024/25 financial year. Simmers responded that his Department had targeted one informal settlement for upgrading in the 2024/25 financial year, which target had been achieved.

In July, Herron asked Simmers a series of follow-up questions, to which the MEC responded last week. According to Simmers, there are 446 informal settlements in the province outside of Cape Town, with another 828 in the Metro. That’s a total of 1274 informal settlements in which, Simmers says, 405 040 households live.

He said the Department had planned “about 115 projects” in its three-year Medium Term Expenditure Framework, but “delivery will depend on the budget allocation”. He said these projects spanned five regions, but chose not to elaborate on what services would actually be delivered.

“Each financial year, the Department collaborates with municipalities to prioritise informal settlements for upgrading. This process is guided by available budget allocations and strategic planning, with prioritisation informed factors such as service delivery needs, density and developmental readiness,” Simmers said.

Asked what an informal settlement upgrade typically entailed, he replied: Provision of essential infrastructure (clean water, sanitation, electricity, roads, and waste management systems), housing improvements, security of tenure, access to social service, environmental enhancements, initiatives to strengthen local economies and community participation in decision-making processes.

Factors that contributed to the establishment of informal settlements included rapid urbanisation, poverty and unaffordability, a shortage of land, Inadequate land use planning, poor enforcement of regulations, and lack of political will, Simmers said.

Simmers is out of his depth. First, there is no shortage of land. And, second, he and his party – which leads the province, the metro and most of its other municipalities – must take responsibility for the poor planning, poor enforcement and lack of political will he complains about.

It comes down to priorities. Upgrading one informal settlement per year is a disgraceful record, and tells you all you need to know about where poorer people fit in the pecking order of the province’s priorities.

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