Johannesburg: Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane says South Africa must move beyond the delivery of individual houses towards integrated and sustainable human settlements that connect communities to essential services, economic opportunities, and secure tenure. Simelane was speaking during The Platform on Thursday, where she outlined the role of human settlements in addressing some of the challenges facing local government.
According to South African Government News Agency, The Platform on Thursday is a weekly high-level webinar series hosted by the Department of Human Settlements, where government leaders and sector experts discuss key issues regarding local government, housing delivery, and urbanisation. In her address under the topic: 'Getting the Basics Right for Local Government: Harnessing the Role of an Activist Middle Class', Simelane emphasized that reliable water and sanitation, electricity, roads, refuse removal, well-managed land, lawful building approvals, and maintained infrastructure are essential foundations for dignity, investment, jobs, public health, and democratic trust.
Simelane noted that South Africa's settlement patterns continue to reflect the geography of apartheid, with many low-income households located far from employment, education, and public transport. She advocated for well-located, mixed-income, and mixed-use developments to be viewed as instruments of spatial redress, economic policy, and long-term municipal financial sustainability.
Highlighting the Constitutional Court's Tafelberg ruling, Simelane stated that the judgment affirmed the need for affordable housing in well-located areas, emphasizing that a human settlement should provide connections to essential services and proximity to schools, clinics, work, and economic opportunities. She warned of the consequences of failures in the delivery chain, which can lead to projects being developed far from jobs, lack of basic services, and delays in social housing projects.
Simelane outlined the responsibilities of the three spheres of government in the delivery chain, stressing the need for national government to handle policy and major grants, provinces to manage housing programs, and municipalities to oversee land-use planning and local services. She emphasized that the household should experience a unified State, and efforts must be made to ensure the State functions as a cohesive system.
For the 2026/27 financial year, the department's Annual Performance Plan targets the completion of 36,884 housing units, 19,393 serviced sites, and 26,917 registered title deeds. On informal settlements, the department aims to complete Phase 1 upgrading in 21 settlements, Phase 2 in 53 settlements, and Phase 3 in 79 settlements. Simelane clarified that the phased upgrading program is focused on providing basic services, safer living conditions, and pathways towards formalization and improved livelihoods.
Simelane also highlighted the importance of secure tenure and well-located social and affordable housing in a rapidly urbanizing society. She reiterated the need for spatial transformation to move from planning to implementation, with development plans completed for 112 out of 136 declared Priority Human Settlements and Housing Development Areas.
Finally, the Minister called for risk-informed disaster response and the scaling of Innovative Building Technologies to improve speed, quality, resilience, and local skills.
