Cape Town's Housing Shame: 162,000 Zambians Wait Decades While SA Politicians Play Games

While Zambia grapples with its own housing challenges, our neighbours in South Africa are exposing a system that has left over 162,000 people waiting for a home for at least five years, with nearly 121,000 stuck on the register for two decades or more. This is the reality of Cape Town, a city that loves to boast about its beauty but fails its own people when it comes to basic shelter.

South Africa's Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane dropped these explosive figures in parliament this week, revealing that her department has identified 21,000 potential housing opportunities across 600 hectares of land in Cape Town. But here is the kicker: only 400 hectares on 31 land parcels are actually being prepared for release to the market. The rest? Just promises, as usual.

Why is Cape Town's housing backlog so massive?

The numbers tell a painful story. According to Simelane, 162,583 beneficiaries have been sitting on the Housing Needs Register for at least five years. Even more shocking, 120,838 people have been waiting for 20 years or more. That is not a housing crisis, that is a national scandal dressed up in parliamentary jargon.

When asked when the backlog would be cleared, the minister admitted it was impossible to provide a definitive timeframe. Her reasoning? New households keep forming and more people keep registering their needs. In other words, the problem is growing faster than the solution.

Political games over Salt River Market housing project

Meanwhile, the politics of housing in Cape Town is turning into a circus. GOOD Party mayoral candidate Brett Herron has accused the Democratic Alliance of using the long-delayed Salt River Market housing project as an election campaign tool. The site was earmarked for social housing nearly two decades ago, and only now is it being trotted out as a political trophy.

DA mayoral candidate and current mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis launched his housing plan at the Salt River Market site on Monday, just three months after officially handing it over to Communicare. Convenient timing, is it not?

Western Cape land release linked to 4,380 units only

The Western Cape government claims it has released land for nearly 5,000 social and affordable housing opportunities. But when you scratch the surface, the real number is 4,380 units across seven projects, including Conradie Park, Oranjezicht, Leeuloop, Stikland and Amandela Place.

Simelane admitted that the process is still in its infancy. No timelines for implementation, no details on approved funding. Just vague promises that information will be made available as soon as the affected parties conclude their business. Zambians know this dance all too well.

Stalled projects and wasted billions

The minister also revealed that stalled social housing projects in Cape Town comprise approximately 2,500 housing units, with an estimated development cost of R4 billion. The Mahama Khayelitsha Project under the Breaking New Ground programme is also stalled, requiring R45 million for 261 top structures.

Simelane warned that there would be consequences for officials and implementing agents should any projects fail to meet their approved targets. But she could not say what those consequences would be. Just another empty threat from a government that has mastered the art of saying nothing while doing less.

What can Zambia learn from Cape Town's housing crisis?

As Zambians, we must ask ourselves: do we want to follow this model? A system where land is identified, promises are made, and the people wait for decades? Our government must prioritise national control of our resources and ensure that housing delivery serves Zambians first, not foreign interests or political egos.

We have the land. We have the people. What we need is the will to build a nation where every Zambian has a decent place to call home. Let Cape Town's failure be our lesson, not our blueprint.

The housing crisis in South Africa is a warning to all of Africa. When politicians play games with people's lives, the result is a generation waiting in vain for a roof over their heads. Zambia must do better. Zambia will do better.