The ANC has expressed it’s unhappiness with he DA for returning a 2 billion Urban Settlements Development Grant (USDG) meant for informal settlements upgrades.
ANC provincial spokesman Dennis Cruywagen said the DA had “either rolled it over or criminally surrendered it to national government”
This grant is supposed to be used to upgrade informal settlements, provide bulk infrastructure, like water sanitation and electricity, and also thin out backyard dwellers. Over eight years, the DA has not spent a total of R2.159 billion. Yes, it used the USDG, but it failed to use the it to improve the lives and conditions of our communities.
The EFF also weighed in to the matter with Provincial EFF spokesperson Nazier Paulsen saying the (housing) backlog was as a result of not prioritising the poor.
There is enough vacant land close to former whites-only suburbs that could be used for affordable, quality housing, but the DA would ire their constituents if they were to let working class blacks move into those suburbs.
This year the allocated human settlements budget for the 2019/20 financial year end is R2.7bn, which could ensure that 25000 housing opportunities are realised.
More: Cape Argus