Revolution: Chapter Nine

 

(Image: Ideogram)

Chapter 9 – The Housing Drive: Building Dignity

By the third anniversary of the September Revolution, the Council’s achievements in restoring governance, stabilising the economy, and revitalising education had begun to bear fruit. Yet, as Harvey Jacobs repeatedly emphasised, “a nation cannot be said to have risen while its people still live in shacks.”

Nowhere was the legacy of inequality and state failure more visible than in the sprawling informal settlements that ringed South Africa’s cities. From Khayelitsha to Alexandra, from Umlazi to Galeshewe, millions of people continued to live without proper housing, sanitation, or ownership. It was, as Jacobs described in his 2029 National Address, “a visible wound on the conscience of the Republic.”

The Announcement

In that landmark address, Jacobs spoke plainly.

“We have rebuilt our institutions, we have begun to heal our schools and streets, but still our people live without walls strong enough to protect a child from the cold. This must end — not through handouts, but through the creation of opportunity. Over the next ten years, every South African family will be given the means to own a home built on dignity, not despair.”

The plan he unveiled became known as the National Housing and Infrastructure Drive (NHID) — an ambitious ten-year programme designed to transform both the built environment and the economy itself.

A Financial Innovation

At its heart lay a bold financial principle: state-guaranteed, low-interest mortgages issued through commercial banks.

The Council recognised that access to finance, not a lack of will or labour, was the main obstacle to home ownership among the working poor. Under the NHID, the government would provide long-term guarantees on mortgages for first-time buyers who met strict vetting criteria — proof of employment, a clean credit record, and a commitment to community standards.

This was not a giveaway. Each homeowner would contribute according to ability, but with interest rates capped at levels affordable even to low-income earners. The state guarantee meant that banks could lend safely, while borrowers gained access to credit markets previously closed to them.

Economists debated the plan intensely. Some warned of risk to public finances, but Cooper-Smith and the Treasury team argued that the long-term benefits outweighed the exposure. The construction boom, they reasoned, would stimulate demand across multiple sectors — steel, cement, timber, transport, and retail — generating revenue that would offset the guarantees.

Within six months of the announcement, the first pilot projects broke ground outside Johannesburg, Durban, and Bloemfontein.

Employment Through Construction

The NHID was more than a housing scheme; it was a national employment engine. Construction sites became hubs of work for previously unemployed youth, tradesmen, and suppliers.

By late 2029, over 400,000 workers were employed directly or indirectly in the housing and infrastructure sectors. Training programmes expanded to keep pace — bricklaying, plumbing, and electrical installation became high-demand trades, taught at new technical colleges built under the education reforms.

Each house built represented not just shelter, but a chain of productive activity linking dozens of industries.

Infrastructure and Community Design

The Council also rejected the old model of peripheral, dormitory-style housing. Instead, new developments were planned as integrated communities — complete with schools, clinics, libraries, and public transport links.

Urban planners emphasised walkability and green spaces. Where possible, renewable energy solutions such as solar micro-grids and water recycling systems were incorporated into designs.

The programme’s slogan — “Homes, not huts; communities, not camps” — captured its ethos of permanence and dignity.

Vetting and Oversight

To prevent corruption — the plague that had crippled previous housing programmes — the process was tightly monitored. The newly established Housing Integrity Board oversaw vetting and allocation, while the Community Liaison Officers (CLOs) played a crucial role in assisting applicants and ensuring transparency.

Each applicant underwent a background check and was required to attend workshops on ownership responsibilities, maintenance, and community governance. Fraudulent applications were prosecuted swiftly, sending a strong message that the new era would not tolerate the old habits.

Jacobs made the point repeatedly:

“This is not charity. It is a partnership between citizen and state. A house built on deceit will not stand.”

Economic and Social Effects

The economic impact was immediate. Demand for building materials surged, factories reopened, and transport companies expanded to meet logistical needs. The construction boom alone contributed nearly two percentage points to GDP growth by 2030.

At the same time, the social transformation was profound. Families that had spent decades in informal dwellings now possessed addresses, deeds, and a tangible stake in society. With ownership came pride, stability, and a visible reduction in crime and social unrest.

In many settlements, residents who once relied on illegal connections now paid for electricity and water. Local entrepreneurship flourished — spaza shops became supermarkets, backyard mechanics formalised their workshops, and small parks replaced refuse dumps.

Feasibility and Advantages

International observers were initially sceptical. The idea of guaranteeing millions of mortgages in a developing country seemed risky. But South Africa’s macroeconomic discipline — low external debt, careful monetary management, and strong export earnings — gave it the fiscal room to experiment.

Moreover, the multiplier effect of housing was undeniable. Every home built generated sustained economic activity across at least six other sectors. Studies later estimated that for every rand invested, the state gained 1.7 rand in economic return.

It was, in effect, a self-sustaining cycle of dignity and productivity.

A Moral Imperative

Jacobs saw the NHID as more than an economic policy — it was a moral one.

“For too long,” he told the National Assembly, “we have spoken of freedom while millions lived in bondage to poverty. True liberty begins when a family closes the door of its own home at night and knows that it is safe, secure, and theirs.”

Warning Against Corruption

The President ended his address with a characteristic warning — calm but unmistakable:

“This opportunity will not be stolen. Those who attempt to cheat, forge, or defraud this programme will face the full weight of the law. The house you take dishonestly today will be taken from you tomorrow. The age of impunity is over.”

The nation listened — and, for the most part, believed him.

---

By the end of 2030, the first 150,000 homes had been completed. Rows of neat brick houses rose where tin shacks had once stood, and for the first time in a generation, the South African skyline seemed to reflect renewal rather than ruin.

The Revolution, now entering its mature phase, was beginning to deliver the tangible symbols of its promise: roofs over heads, ownership in hearts, and hope beneath every foundation stone.