Gugulethu backyarders fed up waiting for promised houses

The land earmarked for housing in NY126, Gugulethu in Cape Town has stood vacant for years. Photo: Mary-Anne Gontsana

• A project to build 571 subsidised houses for Gugulethu backyarders was supposed to be completed in the 2023/24 financial year, but construction has still not begun.
• Extortion rackets, threats of violence and delays in transferring the project from the Western Cape government to the City of Cape Town have held up construction.
• Funding has been secured and a contractor appointed but it is unclear when construction will start.

Backyarders in Gugulethu, Cape Town have been waiting for years for the construction of 571 government houses on land in NY126 near the Luyolo Community Centre. The houses were meant to have been completed in the 2023/24 financial year. Funding has been secured and a contractor appointed, but there remains no timeline for the project.

Threats of violence by extortionists have delayed construction. Also, the project was under the Western Cape government infrastructure department but is now in the process of being handed over to the City of Cape Town to implement.

Provincial infrastructure department spokesperson Stephen Heyns said, “Internal delays in transferring the project to the City have resulted in the further delay of implementation.” However, he said that “planning and approval processes” is done.

Due to the security risk on site, the contractor would have required extra guards on site, and this would have exceeded the maximum approved amount for the project, he said.

He added that “year-on-year budget availability is subject to the total grant allocation made to the province, and the readiness of each project”.

Heyns said work could start as soon as project handover is done, but he did not give timelines for this.

Backyarders fed up

In February 2018, a group of backyarders, who dubbed themselves the Gugulethu Seven or G7, erected structures on the land saying they were tired of being overlooked for housing. But after the land flooded, they moved to a nearby community hall.

Nomawethu Maki, who was one of the G7, said, “The project is not moving … Meanwhile we are still suffering as backyarders, some of us paying rent that we cannot afford.”

Maki said communication from the department was non-existent. She and others unsuccessfully attempted to occupy the land again in August in protest.

Backyarder Mzwakhe Cebibokwe said he has been on the housing waiting list for 20 years. Getting a house would be a dream come true, he said.

“Being a backyarder is tough. Most of us are backyarders in our family homes, but due to things like living with a lot of family members or family politics, like ownership of the family home, you end up needing your own space. So, you erect a structure inside the yard.”

“There are a lot of backyarders in Gugulethu, but we seldom benefit from housing opportunities.

“If there is no certainty on the commencement of the housing project, why can’t they at least let us put temporary structures on that land? This will help keep that space safe,” said Cebibokwe.

According to Heyns, the project will have fully subsidised Breaking New Ground (BNG) homes.

“A component of the project did include a high-density, multi-storey BNG component. However, this typology is no longer deemed feasible due to the ongoing maintenance and management costs associated with sectional title schemes, which would place an unnecessary burden on beneficiaries,” said Heyns.

He said all beneficiaries would be drawn from the housing database. Allocations would be made from a number of areas based on an agreement that had been reached through the project engagement committee.

“Land use planning approvals are in place and services for a human settlements project have been partially installed,” he said.

The City said it would only respond, “once all due process has been completed”.

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