R500m hostel project half done but poor safety and overcrowding persist

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07-08-2025
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Timeslive
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'It used to be dark and scary but now the painting brings life. I can even do video calls with my siblings because it feels better'

Gauteng human settlements MEC Tasneem Motara says major refurbishment work on Johannesburg’s inner-city hostels is halfway complete, with visible changes for residents but challenges such as overcrowding and poor safety remain.

Motara and Johannesburg MMC for human settlements Mlungisi Mabaso visited the George Goch, MBA, Murray & Roberts, Jeppe and Denver hostels on Wednesday to monitor progress under the “Siyeza Nakuwe” service delivery campaign.

The three-year, R500m project targets six hostels with work on the final one, LTA Hostel, expected to start within two months.

The project includes structural repairs, sewer and water line upgrades, new electrical systems, waterproofing, paving, window replacement, tiling, painting and plumbing.

Motara said this was informed by condition assessments conducted three years ago to determine what was needed to make the hostels habitable.

“These hostels are really old and overcrowded. They were built for a specific purpose that no longer exists. Our responsibility is not just because we own them, but from a human rights and dignity perspective,” Motara said. “We want to redevelop them into family units in future, but that will require more funding.”

She described the state of the hostels before the intervention as “appalling” and said the department began with daily cleaning before tackling major repairs.

“We should not go beyond May next year. Some hostels will have completed blocks by the end of August,” she said, adding that bad weather could cause minor delays.

Mabaso said the city’s hostel redevelopment strategy recently approved by council aims to partner the private sector for future phases.

At Jeppe Hostel, tenant Celamandla Majola said the upgrades had improved his living conditions but not his sense of safety.

“Our living conditions are now better but there is no safety. At night we hear gunshots, especially in summer,” said Majola. Having moved in five years ago after being told he could stay without paying rent, he now lives with four others in a unit with fixed windows, painted walls, tiles and running taps.

Another tenant, Khayalethu Mhlongo, said the changes have brightened the space. “It used to be dark and scary but now the painting brings life. I can even do video calls to my siblings because it feels better,” he said.

He hopes future upgrades will include beds and kitchen stoves.

Residents say overcrowding remains a daily struggle. In one unit, six people live together with a makeshift shop operating inside the small space.

“It is a bit cleaner now but too many of us share one room. The shop helps me survive but this is not how a person should live,” said shop owner Thabo Khumalo.

The department aims to complete all refurbishments on the six hostels by May 2026 with monthly monitoring visits planned to keep work on track.