Years of neglect by the Dihlabeng Municipality have left many residents occupying land not designated for residential purposes, without basic infrastructure or formal tenure. This failure has stripped citizens of their dignity and created unsafe, unsustainable living conditions for families who have waited patiently for the municipality to deliver on its promises.
In 2024, shortly before the Provincial and National Elections, the Human Settlements Department began allocating sites to community members from Riverside and Captain Charles informal settlements in Vogelfontein Extension 5.
Residents were told they would be relocated within three months, yet a year later, they remain in limbo, still waiting for development to commence.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Dihlabeng Municipality will table an urgent motion calling for the fair, transparent, and dignified allocation of residential sites and housing in accordance with South Africa’s Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA) and the Constitutional right to a healthy living environment as set out in the Bill of Rights (1996), says Cllr Lucas Xaba, DA Councillor of the Dihlabeng Municipality.
One elderly resident shared that he has lived there for more than 35 years and was promised formal recognition by the ANC administration, which has since failed to materialise.
“The DA continues to advocate for legal land occupation that brings residents closer to their workplaces and essential services. However, the Five Houses site outside Bethlehem is located far from schools and employment opportunities, worsening the daily struggles of families already living in poverty,” Xaba said.
“We will therefore push for the Dihlabeng to install basic infrastructure, including roads, water supply, and sewage systems, before declaring any area a township. This will ensure that all site and housing allocations are managed with dignity, fairness, and in compliance with the law.”
