/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

Both the DA-led Western Cape Government and the various DA-led Municipalities across this province have proven that they are using their land commendably to create integrated human settlements.

The Provincial Government has between 2009 to date, provisioned approximately 360ha of land in its ownership for residential development purposes. This will over time yield 18 782 housing opportunities. These parcels are across the province in Ithemba, Penhill, Khayelitsha, Eersteriver, Blue Downs, Kuilsriver, Belhar, Mitchells Plain, Charlesville, Paarl and George.

Against a target of 219 664 during 2009 – 2019, the Western Cape created more than 231 000 housing opportunities.

Over the last 5 years, DA-led municipalities across the province have ensured and continue to ensure that land is made available for human settlement development, while also empowering its residents by handing over title deeds. A combined total of approximately 450ha has been earmarked for human settlement development among the Drakenstein, Witzenberg, Langeberg, Swellendam, Saldanha Bay, Mossel Bay and George Municipalities over the last 5 years. The properties are at various stages of development.

In addition, during the same period, more than 14 350 residents became first time, legal, and fully-fledged homeowners in these municipalities when they received their title deeds.

The DA difference is that DA-led governments do not intend to do things, DA-led governments get things done, and these few examples clearly demonstrate how the DA delivers to all the people where we govern: people who vote DA and also people who do not yet vote DA. Ms. de Lille keeps on harping that she intended to do many things during her tenure as Mayor of the City of Cape Town. One can intend many things, but until it is done, it’ll remain a pipe dream.

In her capacity as National Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure (NDPWI), Patricia de Lille continues to claim in media statement after media statement and soundbite after soundbite that she has released 6 parcels of land to the Western Cape for housing purposes. Yet neither the Provincial nor the local sphere where the land parcels are supposedly released, have been formally advised! Yet again, presently, the minister worries the media with headline announcements that Customs House in the Cape Town CBD will be released for housing purposes. And again, the local authorities have not been duly informed! De Lille can promise land until she is blue in the face, in a manner of speaking, but incomplete documentation makes it impossible to act responsibly and legally in providing housing solutions. Documentation demanded by good governance remain absent, and requests for outstanding paperwork are not even acknowledged.

Of course the DA governments and departments welcome the supposed land releases, but remain hamstrung by poor and absent handover administration which defeats the very objective of land releases.

De Lille should use her media time to explain why her administration handicaps housing! Why were the land releases not revealed in 2020, when she announced her department’s strategic integrated projects, and why had the Western Cape been completely omitted from this process? Why is she providing assistance in 10 human settlements projects in Gauteng, for example? Why is she blatantly ignoring the plight of the almost 600 000 Western Cape residents that are still on the Housing Demand Database? Why wait for the eve of an election to make these announcements? Is Patricia de Lille playing politics with the lives of families in dire need of housing?!

De Lille’s utterances are stale, clearly not so Good, and fake for incomplete information. It seems that she has no interest to assist the people of the Western Cape and instead is using land releases for party political gain.

A prominent case in point is De Lille’s Knoflokskraal disaster in Grabouw: She has managed to have the property, owned by her department, invaded for lack of protection. In fact, her Good party members in Grabouw have been accused of encouraging people from the Cape Flats in Cape Town to register in the Grabouw area, in exchange for plots in Knoflokskraal. The DA has already reported this matter to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), because such blatant corruption cannot be tolerated. That state land is being used for party political gain is unethical and wholly unacceptable.

These practices, hacks really, fix nothing and create delays, not opportunities. Such behaviour is not surprising, especially at election times when small parties seeking to only serve their own interests, demonstrate their desperation for all to see. It is unfortunate that the DA-led Theewaterskloof Municipality is being placed under immense pressure, as they’re expected to provide basic services on land which is not their property – a precise example of a hack.

My humble call to all our residents across this province is to recognise the con. The people of the Western Cape should dismiss and reject Good, just as they’ve done with the ANC, EFF and all the other failed parties.

Vote DA. Empower the DA, and allow the DA to continue building and getting things done for and with the people.

Issued by DA Western Cape Deputy Leader Tertuis Simmers