The Gauteng provincial government has declared it will not be intimidated by syndicates it alleges are behind a wave of unlawful land invasions across the province. Premier Panyaza Lesufi announced a forthcoming campaign of evictions and the demolition of illegal informal settlements, signaling a hardline stance on the issue.
The Premier made the statements during a media briefing in Johannesburg, where he outlined his administration’s response to several pressing challenges. He reported a significant increase in the number of people illegally occupying government land, a trend he said would no longer be tolerated.
“We will no longer tolerate them and those who are illegally occupying land will be removed,” Lesufi stated, confirming that this action would be carried out “in all municipalities across the province.”
The crackdown comes in the context of findings from the Usindiso Sofaya report, which investigated the causes of building invasions. The Premier noted the report’s recommendations, which included that the government must speed up the provision of formal housing and directly address extreme poverty, which it identified as a root cause of the occupations.
Alongside the enforcement action, Premier Lesufi detailed a new approach to the provincial Nasi iSpani (Here is Work) initiative, launched over the weekend. He stated the program would now focus heavily on skills development to combat unemployment and support infrastructure projects.
According to Lesufi, young people will be taught trades such as welding, painting, and bricklaying. He believes this direct skills training will help complete stalling infrastructure projects and “eradicate the tender system.” The Premier vowed to continue with the program despite criticism, asserting it is the most effective way to tackle provincial unemployment.
On the issue of political violence, Premier Lesufi welcomed the recent launch of a specialized task team dedicated to solving political killings. While he could not provide a specific number of cases, he confirmed the figures from 2010 to the present are “alarming.” He has also requested the task force expand its scope to investigate the ongoing taxi violence in Gauteng, expressing hope that the team would bring accountability and peace to the province.
The Gauteng government’s strategy now appears to be two-fold: taking a firm stand against illegal settlements allegedly driven by criminal syndicates, while simultaneously pushing forward with a controversial jobs program aimed at addressing the underlying economic desperation fueling the housing crisis.
