R87 million spent on an important housing project that is now abandoned and vandalised

R87 million has been spent on the Hospital View Housing Project in Tembisa, but the 500 housing units remain abandoned and incomplete.

The Hospital View Housing Project was first initiated during the 2018/2019 financial year as part of the City of Ekurhuleni’s spatial transformation agenda.

On 26 February 2020, the Mayor of the City of Ekurhuleni officiated the sod turning ceremony for the construction of the housing units.

At the time, the construction of the bulk municipal services infrastructure, such as electricity, water, and stormwater, had been completed.

Initially, the project made good progress, and significant construction took place. However, it soon stalled, and the Hospital View Housing Project was abandoned.

In October 2023, Members of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, Mervyn Cirota and Evert Du Plessis, raised the alarm about the project.

They said the project was vandalised in 2021 and that the City of Ekurhuleni Human Settlement Department said R60 million was needed to refurbish the units.

“We conducted an oversight inspection and discovered that the housing units have been severely vandalised and will cost more than estimated to fix,” they said.

“The bulk infrastructure previously installed has been vandalised, including water infrastructure, electricity cables, and substations.”

They explained that the failure to complete the housing projects on time has led to abandonment and increased vulnerability to vandalism.

Despite urgent calls to assess the damage, secure the funds to fix it, and rescue the project, little has happened over the last three years.

On Monday, 22 June 2026, ActionSA’s Emma More said there was a housing crisis in Ekurhuleni, with the Hospital View Housing Project at its centre.

“At the centre of this crisis is the Hospital View Housing Project, where R87 million has been spent, yet 500 housing units remain abandoned and incomplete,” she said.

A recent written response from the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements shed light on the Hospital View housing project in Tembisa debacle.

“The MEC’s admissions paint a troubling picture of stalled progress, depleted funds, and a dereliction of duty,” More said.

It showed that the housing project has been on hold since June 2022 due to a lack of funding from the Human Settlements Development Grant.

Out of an initial project budget of R97 million, R87 million has already been spent with little to show for it.

The project has stalled at 85% completion, leaving 500 units erected but abandoned at various stages of construction.

The assigned contractors, Yenzisisa Contractor, Robeco Africa, and Anita Building, vacated the site due to community unrest and the depletion of project funds.

“It is highly concerning that the Department is only now conducting structural assessments to determine the full extent of the damage,” she said.

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Hospital View Housing Plan

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Hospital View Housing Project photos

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