The City of Cape Town is moving forward with its plans to upgrade more hostel units in Langa.  This is in line with its commitment to redress.

Work is expected to begin in the latter half of next year.

The City is also working on establishing a holistic plan for future hostel upgrades in Langa, Nyanga, Gugulethu Section 2 and Gugulethu Section 3.

Much work has to be done over the coming years, but the City remains committed to transforming the relics of the country’s apartheid-era past.

Cape Town has approximately 11 000 hostel bed spaces within Gugulethu, Langa, Nyanga, Lwandle and Mfuleni, with Langa being home to some of Cape Town’s worst affected hostels.

Under the apartheid regime the hostels in Langa and other areas in Cape Town and South Africa were built for black African men who were employed as labourers for various companies within the larger cities of South Africa.

During this period it was a prerequisite for companies to provide hostel accommodation for their labourers.

This system not only impacted on the health, safety and socio-economic and customary circumstances of workers, but had a huge impact on their family life.

In 2010 a survey was done to identify the status of all of the hostel bed spaces within the city.

Based on this survey, the hostels were ranked in terms of the severity of the condition.

An objective model was then used to determine the priorities for this programme. Roughly R250 million has been spent on the programme thus far and 463 new apartments have been built.

The next phase of the programme, which is set to start next year, after all due process have been followed, will see the construction of an estimated 660 new apartments on the Special Quarters and New Flats sites in Langa at a cost of some R320 million.

“It is early days, although much work has gone into the preparation for the next phases of the programme already. The majority of the hostels are situated in Langa.

“ The City hopes to have a panel of consultants in place by August 2019 to do planning for all the hostel areas within Cape Town. This panel will look at Nyanga, Langa, Gugulethu Section 2 and Gugulethu Section 3 and develop a holistic plan for all of these areas,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Malusi Booi.

“The City will do everything in its power to ensure that all processes are completed as soon as possible. Good community cooperation will be the most vital ingredient as we go forward to bring redress to those families who were broken up, torn apart and stripped of their dignity and humanity by the apartheid government.”