WATCH | ‘Not just for Alexandra’ – Ramaphosa clarifies housing promise

Ramaphosa

Cape Town – President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday clarified that his promise to build one million houses was never intended exclusively for Alexandra but for the entire country.

Speaking during a Q&A session in Parliament, Ramaphosa addressed questions from EFF leader Julius Malema, who referenced Ramaphosa’s 2018 visit to Alexandra, where residents were promised housing improvements.

Ramaphosa noted that around 40,000 houses are currently being constructed for Alexandra residents, with plans to relocate vulnerable residents to nearby areas like Frankenwald and Linksfield.

He highlighted the challenges of housing in Alexandra, citing limited available land and the impact of informal settlements and land invasions.

Malema accused Ramaphosa of misleading Alexandra residents and called on him to admit his mistake.

“You can’t come here and say you never promised the people of Alexandra one million houses,” Malema said.

“Knowing you being a legally-trained person like you said, you are not being an illiterate who just speaks without knowing what he is speaking about.”

Ramaphosa responded by expressing regret for any misunderstanding and apologised if his words created a false impression, emphasising that the promise was intended on a national scale.

“I made reference to the whole of South Africa to build one million houses,” Ramaphosa told Parliament.

“It is quite clear from the recording that these houses were not just for Alexandra.”

He said that, objectively, it was unreasonable to interpret the promise as being specifically made for Alexandra.

“To the extent that it created that impression, yes I will say I apologise for having made people believe that I meant [it] for Alexandra.”

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Compiled by Betha Madhomu

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