South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed deep concerns over the proliferation of informal settlements in the Free State.

These concerns were shared during his door-to-door campaign trail in Botshabelo and Bloemfontein on Friday 26 April 2024. On his way to Botshabelo, Ramaphosa witnessed hundreds of shacks erected at Botshabelo's entrance near the N8. With a commitment to address the challenges of residents, Ramaphosa highlighted the urgency of finding sustainable solutions to improve residents’ living conditions and to ensure access to basic services.

“I was not pleased with what I saw. The spread of informal settlements is just galloping in a way that it needs to be halted. The best way to halt it is to focus more and more on infrastructure development, which means building houses and such as schools and clinics. This will cater for those who have already taken the self-help option because they need accommodation. We therefore need to provide for them,” said Ramaphosa. 

Scores of ANC supporters have gathered at the Phuthaditjhaba Stadium in Qwaqwa, where President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address the Free State provincial Siyanqoba rally. @News24 pic.twitter.com/x51ylXvkTu

— Amanda Khoza - The Journalist (@MandaKhoza) April 28, 2024

“What I said to them, which they liked, is that there are two housing options we are working on now. The first is to continue building RDP houses, which we will do. The second – which we want to massify – is to provide for people who want to build their own houses.”

The issues of land challenges in the province raised eyebrows with the recent eviction carried out with the assistance of the notorious Red Ants, at a place that has become known as Mountain View near Lourierpark, which left families in disarray. Their illegally constructed homes were destroyed and their possessions scattered. It’s understood the DA in the Free State submitted an urgent application for the removal of land invaders in that area after Mangaung Metro had allegedly stalled with a court interdicting.

The Free State MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Ketso Makume, hit back at the DA for quickly acting to ensure the MMM acts on the court interdict to remove invaders at Mountain View. He said the DA quickly reacted to ensure people were removed because they were close to the white community, but little attention was given to land invaders in Botshabelo near the N8 and Thaba Nchu.

During her visit to Botshabelo last year, the Minister of Human Settlements, Mmamoloko Kubayi, said over R50 million has been allocated under an urban development grant for residents of Botshabelo and around R60 million for informal settlement upgrading.
Meanwhile, Botshabelo residents recently expressed dissatisfaction with the system used by councillors and Mangaung Mayor Gregory Nthatisi in allocating sites for residents.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi cg