GOOD Statement by Marius van Stade ,
GOOD Stellenbosch Municipality Councillor
10 March 2025
The GOOD Party urges the Stellenbosch Local Municipality to find sustainable solutions to secure housing ownership for the residents of Vaaldraai and Elsenburg, on the outskirts of Stellenbosch.
Residents of Vaaldraai and Elsenburg state housing units have already been hit by an unmanageable rental increase when the Provincial Department of Public Works and Infrastructure handed the properties over to a management company.
Now at a Human Settlements Portfolio Committee meeting it was discussed that the Western Cape intends to once again transfer the management and ownership of the houses, this time to the Stellenbosch Municipality.
GOOD believes we must engage with officials and negotiate viable alternatives that will enable these communities to own the homes they have lived in for years.
The GOOD Party has proposed that Vaaldraai and Elsenburg be included in the Stellenbosch Municipality Housing Pipeline, allowing rural residents to benefit from future housing development opportunities.
The GOOD Party remains committed to urgent discussions with all stakeholders to ensure a sustainable and fair solution—one that prioritises the fundamental right to homeownership for Stellenbosch’s rural inhabitants.
Media enquiries: media@forgood.org.za