Electrifying informal settlements in Johannesburg now costs up to R144,000 per shack, exceeding the price of building a new RDP house. The City of Johannesburg's projects in Region F have drawn scrutiny for high expenses and incomplete progress despite significant spending. Officials cite confidentiality, while residents and councillors report confusion over budgets and planning.
The City of Johannesburg is spending far above national benchmarks to electrify shacks in inner-city informal settlements, with costs reaching R144,000 per connection compared to the standard R25,000 to R30,000 under the Upgrading of Informal Settlements Programme (UISP) and Integrated National Electrification Programme. This expense surpasses the cost of constructing a new RDP house, highlighting inefficiencies in the city's upgrading drive.
Of six approved projects for 2024/25 in Region F—South Hills, Denver, George Goch, Jumpers, Shalazile, and The View—the total budget is R380-million, with R284-million (75%) already spent. However, progress varies: South Hills has zero spending on its R20.4-million allocation for 332 units (R61,445 per connection); Jumpers is 40% complete after R51.1-million of R69.4-million spent on 480 structures (R144,583 per connection); Shalazile and The View are 98% complete at R68-million and R32.8-million respectively. Even completed sites cost R250,000 to R400,000 per connection, up to six times the norm.
Jumpers in Cleveland exemplifies the chaos. Home to about 3,000 people waiting two decades for power, the site shows only 64 concrete poles, a mini-substation, and a short cable trench despite 40% budget use. Work began early 2025 but halted multiple times: a contractor pegged 410 stands on a children's play area, then left in July claiming non-payment before returning. Demolitions targeted a few shacks of illegal foreigners, but illegal mining persists nearby.
Budget figures conflict: residents heard R83-million, the city insists R69.4-million (with R35-million from national UISP grant), and national officials confirm only R35-million allocated. Gauteng MPL Mervyn Cirota described 'total confusion' and lack of coordination. Ward councillor Neuren Pietersen criticized systemic dysfunction, noting the land remains zoned 'mining' and no UISP plans were shared. 'It's way overpriced,' he said, pointing to minimal infrastructure like 500m of cabling.
City Power's Isaac Mangena distanced the utility, saying they implement once sites are handed over. MMC Mlungisi Mabaso affirmed the R69.42-million budget for 280 stands (48m² each) and urged patience, claiming completion on track. Yet residents like Gcobisa Dingiswayo lament lost playground space and shrinking living areas: 'This is a concentration camp.' National spokesperson Tsekiso Machike confirmed Johannesburg manages the project independently.