President Cyril Ramaphosa during his Opening of Parliament address. Picture: Twitter / @ParliamentofRSA
President Cyril Ramaphosa said his promise to build one million houses was not meant to be interpreted as being for Alexandra alone.
However, 40 000 houses were being built for Alexandra residents, and the more vulnerable will be relocated to the nearby Frankenwald and Linksfield first.
The president said this during his Q&A session in Parliament on Thursday in response to a question posed by EFF leader Julius Malema.
Malema asked Ramaphosa about the promise he made to the people of the township in 2018 that government would one day build one million houses for them.
This promise was made with reference to the Sjwetla township where people get washed away by the river “each time it rains”, Malema said.
Ramaphosa responded that it was actually in April 2019 that he had spoken to residents of Alexandra about the challenges they face.
“I made reference to the whole of South Africa to build one million houses,” Ramaphosa told Parliament.
“It is quite clear from the recording that these houses were not just for Alexandra.”
At this point boos and jeers erupted from a number of the EFF MPs. Malema sat in silence, though, with a quizzical look on his face.
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“There is simply not enough space in Alexandra to be able to develop the scale that would amount to one million.”
Ramaphosa said housing in the township had long been a challenge. Yet its population was growing as more people moved there.
“This strains existing resources and increases housing demand. There is a lack of available land development in and around Alexandra itself.”
He said this was exacerbated by land invasions and the growth of informal settlements.
Yet, government is working on the problem, Ramaphosa said.
“Plans are underway to build approximately 40 000 houses in Frankenwald and in Linksfield, benefitting the residents in the area and others in Alexandra.
“One of the urgent tasks it to relocate approximately 8 000 households who are in the flood lines or plains of the Jukskei river.”
These two Joburg areas are each roughly 20 minutes from Alexandra.
“The government is actively working to unblock and complete various stalled housing projects in Alexandra.”
He pointed out progress made on Helen Joseph Hostel and KwaNobuhle Hostel.
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When asking his supplementary question, Malema told Ramaphosa it was good leadership to admit when one makes a mistake.
“You can’t come here and say you never promised the people of Alexandra one million houses,” Malema stated.
“Knowing you being a legally-trained person like you said, you are not being an illiterate who just speaks without knowing what he is speaking about.”
He said when a president speaks, listeners have high expectations.
Yet people in Alexandra are still “sleeping with the rats” and living without sanitation and water.
“Our fighter Moshe Mphahlele was killed in Alexandra, fighting for people to occupy the containers.
“Because of that daily struggle in Alex, we have lost our honorary commissar.”
Malema said Ramaphosa was “becoming a professional politician”, going back on his word.
Then, Ramaphosa was given time to reply.
He started by giving his condolences for the passing of Mphahlele.
“I had wanted to call you but I then got distracted by a whole number of things.
“I felt very sad when that incident happened because Mphahlele was an important leader in your party.”
The president said he and a number of people had gone back to the recording to check its meaning.
He said objectively speaking, the interpretation that the promise was made for Alexandra was just impossible to believe.
“To the extent that it created that impression, yes I will say I apologise for having made people believe that I meant [it] for Alexandra.”
This drew a nod from Malema in response.
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