Cape town: Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane has outlined an ambitious plan to unblock and complete more than 200 stalled housing projects across South Africa as government moves to address long-standing delays affecting thousands of households.
According to South African Government News Agency, Simelane responded to questions for oral reply in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Tuesday, stating that the Department of Human Settlements has targeted to unblock about 212 projects classified as blocked, abandoned, or stalled by the 2025/2026 financial year. "These projects are collectively valued at approximately R37 billion," she said.
The intervention is informed by provincial business plans aimed at accelerating delivery and restoring affected developments. The Free State has been identified as the hardest-hit province with 154 unblocked projects requiring urgent intervention. Many of these developments were left incomplete due to contractor abandonment and poor workmanship, with some instances seeing only foundations or slabs laid, and others using materials of substandard quality.
While Gauteng has 12 blocked projects, these often involve mega projects, such as hostels and their upgrades, affecting a significant number of households rather than a small number of housing units. Across other provinces, the department has identified nine stalled projects in KwaZulu-Natal, four in Limpopo, two in Mpumalanga, and three in the Northern Cape.
Although the Eastern Cape has no officially stalled projects, Simelane highlighted ongoing challenges related to mud housing, which require targeted intervention due to delays in previous programs. In the North West, 21 large-scale or 'mega' projects have been identified, many serving between 500 and 800 households per development, with administrative delays cited as a key factor affecting progress.
The Western Cape faces seven blocked projects, with delays largely attributed to infrastructure constraints, land availability challenges, and legal disputes. Legal battles have sometimes stalled projects, prompting the department to implement multiple interventions and ratifications. Measures include suspending payments where work is unsatisfactory and submitting non-compliant contractors to the Department of Public Works.
The department is prioritising projects delayed for over a decade, particularly in the North West and the Free State, focusing on reactivating and completing projects dating back to between 2006 and 2014. Additionally, the government aims to unlock the Community Residential Units (CRU) programme and enhance bulk infrastructure provision through targeted allocations within housing grants.
During the 2024/2025 financial year, more than 200 projects were identified for unblocking, anticipated to deliver at least 815 housing units nationwide. The department is also strengthening support to provinces through conditional grants to ensure stalled projects are prioritised and completed, including interventions in emergency housing and disaster-affected areas, especially in rural provinces.
In provinces like KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, some projects faced delays due to disasters and slow responses, leaving beneficiaries without homes for extended periods. Progress has been made in relocating communities affected by previous disasters, including flood victims in parts of KwaZulu-Natal, although several projects remain ongoing.
The Minister reaffirmed the government's commitment to ensuring that incomplete housing projects are finalised and that affected communities are not left behind.