As you come in to land at Cape Town International, a near-endless sea of shacks is visible from the air. Every day people arrive in the Mother City from the rural areas, in search of greener pastures. They are desperate for jobs, they require health care. Most importantly, perhaps, they need housing. It’s a mammoth job, but one that demands political will and careful managing. 

The politics of the Western Cape has in recent years been marked by uncertainty and inter-party squabbling. And it’s affecting the delivery of housing.

The N2 Gateway project probably has the highest profile of all housing projects undertaken since 1994. It aims to build houses for the poor along the N2, in line with government’s objective to eliminate the informal settlements that line the highway linking the airport to the city centre. But even this praiseworthy project has been bedevilled by politics. That the City Metro under Mayor Helen Zille has been “removed” from the project by the Minister of Housing is an indication of this political sensitivity. 

On the ground, there is also tension. The first phase of the five-phase project is almost finished and has 705 units. Who gets to move in has become a source of conflict in the surrounding areas. Those living in informal settlements expect to be housed there first, especially the residents of the Joe Slovo settlement, who were originally re-located to make way for the construction.  

Many would argue that one of the greatest challenges in post-apartheid South Africa is to integrate the poor into the life of the cities. So far the government has only paid lip service to the idea. The segregated landscape of the past is still intact and, in fact, has been perpetuated by the new government in its hurry to house the electorate. 

In this investigation Special Assignment looks into other options available to house the poor in South Africa and assesses the effects of uncertainty and political in-fighting on delivery.

Housed in Controversy is directed by Msizi Khuhlane and was filmed by Fazlur Phillips.

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