A dialogue on the genesis of housing problems in South Africa

Abstract: A shallow synopsis of the current South Africa housing backlog crisis points straight at corrupt practices, the inefficiency and lack of capacity of the present and previous post-apartheid government to adequately address the maddening housing problem in the country. But a sincere overview will reveal that the present housing crisis has its origin in the 1913 Natives’ Land Act that severely limited the land that those previously classified as natives in South Africa could own. The Native’s Land Act, though now abolished, entrenched a land tenure system and limited the alienability of land to 13% for the natives who are the majority of the South Africa population. Today, millions of South African households live in slum housing patterns, hostels and crowded houses in marginalised townships and informal settlements awaiting access to government-availed land and houses because of consequences of the formerly enacted Natives’ Land Act of 1913. Though the South African government and other stakeholders, since the attainment of democratic governance in 1994, have been creating and implementing various housing delivery programmes to speedily meet demand. This study is conducted with reference to existing theoretical literature, published and unpublished research. It is mainly a literature review on the role of the colonial edicts that fostered a culture of housing under-development and eventually an enormous housing shortage that the present government is battling to eradicate. Findings from the study reveals that since 1910 to the end of the segregation rule in 1994, various approaches were used to advance the inhumane idea to restrict a majority of South Africans from owning properties. With a particular emphasis to the Native Land Act 27 of 1913; this Act was concerned with land issues, and since land and housing issues are inextricably linked, this affected the provision of housing for Blacks and other disadvantaged ethnic groups. Further findings revealed that the enactment of the Native Land Act 27 of 1913, cemented housing policy issues in the apartheid era, which created the divide in housing issues which have not be completely reversed till date. However, apartheid policies alone cannot be held responsible for the housing backlog in South Africa, but equally no account of housing backlog and conditions can be credible if we do not take into account the history of South Africa and its colonial policies