Premier Lesufi vows during SOPA, to eradicate Gauteng’s over 700 informal settlements

Johnathan Paoli

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has promised to eradicate the province’s 700 informal settlements, saying the provincial government has bought land to address the issue.

The Premier was speaking during his 2024 State of the Province Address in Nasrec, Johannesburg on Monday and said the government has started the process in order to ensure that its utilities such as water, electricity, and sewage are available to smooth the move out of informal settlements, especially for the youth.

“Informal settlements must come to an end. We can’t have so many informal settlements in our province, there are 700 informal settlements,” Lesufi said.

Lesufi said that plans were in consideration to upgrade approximately 68 informal settlements into more habitable housing and that the department has accelerated its plans to decongest and relocate people to more adequate land.

“This includes the placement of people in complete mega projects and other housing developments,”