The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have vehemently rejected the Human Settlements budget tabled by Minister Thembi Simelane and Deputy Minister Thandi Mahambehlala in Parliament today, dismissing it as a “cosmetic increase” that fails to address South Africa’s escalating housing crisis.
EFF representatives argued that while the government has increased the budget allocation for human settlements in nominal terms, the rise is effectively nullified by inflation, which currently stands at 5.2%. “This increase is not real. It does not build more homes, it does not address the ever-growing backlog, and it certainly does not restore the dignity of our people,” an EFF spokesperson stated.
The party highlighted that South Africa’s housing backlog has now surpassed 2.3 million units, with over 13 million people still living in informal settlements, overcrowded RDP homes, or backyard dwellings. “The streets of Diepsloot, Khayelitsha, and Marikana tell a different story from the government’s promises,” the EFF said, accusing the state of a “political and moral failure” in delivering on the post-1994 promise of adequate housing for all.
NHFC Criticized as “Toothless”
The EFF also took aim at the National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC), established in 1996 to provide affordable housing finance. Instead of becoming a “transformative force,” the party argued, the NHFC has remained ineffective, catering largely to the middle class while excluding the poor from property ownership.
“Where is the legislation? Where is the vision?” the EFF demanded, accusing the government of delivering “bureaucracy instead of revolution.”
Unspent Housing Grants Condemned
Further criticism was directed at municipalities, particularly metros, which have repeatedly returned billions in unspent housing grants to the national treasury. “While billions go unspent, our people sleep in open fields,” the EFF said, calling for urgent accountability and systemic reform.
The DA, meanwhile, was labeled as “extortionists” by the EFF, though the opposition party has yet to respond to the allegations.