Urban Land Release for Affordable Housing and Infrastructure
DPWI and other national departments own significant well-located urban land — including former military bases, unused state hospitals, and surplus government offices — that is not being used productively. Releasing these parcels for affordable housing, mixed-use development, or social infrastructure could dramatically reduce the cost of urban land for low-income housing programmes without requiring expropriation. Operation Vulindlela identified public land release as a Phase I priority but progress has been slow due to inter-departmental coordination failures, disputes over land valuations, and competing departmental claims. A centralised Land Release Coordinating Committee with National Treasury, DPWI, DHS, and DTIC representation, backed by a Cabinet directive with implementation deadlines, is the proposed governance mechanism.