- The housing shortfall which was around 1.5 million in 1995, has swelled to 3.7 million now according to the Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa.
As per South African government data, almost 13 percent of South Africa’ 59 million people live in informal settlements locally called shacks.
The problem of landlessness originated during the apartheid era that prevented blacks from owning land. Stripped of land ownership, the blacks moved to the city outskirts. With little job opportunities in the rural areas, people have also flocked to urban centres in search of jobs and better healthcare and education. The result is unauthorised settlements mostly in urban areas. These shacks have mushroomed in unsafe areas like across the river banks, which are vulnerable to floods. . Informal settlements according to data rose from an estimated 300 in 1994 to 2,700 in 2020.
The recent deadly floods in the two provinces have left many homeless making the housing crisis even more severe. Even after three decades after the apartheid system was abolished, land distribution and economic inequity remain unresolved. The housing shortfall which was around 1.5 million in 1995, has swelled to 3.7 million now, according to the Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa. Experts hope that the current crisis will force the South African government to finallyseriously address landlessness and poverty.
Read Also:
https://trendsnafrica.com/chinese-help-to-south-africa-for-flood-relief-works/
https://trendsnafrica.com/south-africa-floods-death-toll-crosses-four-hundred/
