By Teboho Moloi
BETHLEHEM – Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae has issued a stern warning to residents to stop the illegal occupation of land and the mushrooming of informal settlements, saying the practice undermines orderly development and makes it difficult for government to deliver basic services.
Speaking during the official launch of a new human settlements township at Baken Park Extension on Thursday, 18 December 2025, Letsoha-Mathae urged residents to exercise patience and allow government to formally establish townships instead of invading land unlawfully.
She also cautioned homeowners against illegally converting their houses into rental units while paying residential tariffs instead of business rates, describing the practice as unfair and unlawful.
Letsoha-Mathae assured residents that the provincial government would not abandon incomplete projects, blaming long-standing delays on problems dating back to 2017, when some contractors were paid in advance without completing their work.
“We have taken a firm decision as the Seventh Administration that at least 80% of tenders over the next three years must go to Free State companies. Yet 92% of contractors currently benefiting from tenders here are from outside the province. That has to change,” she said.
Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane threw her weight behind the provincial government’s efforts, confirming national support for the housing programme. She announced that the first 90 housing units in the new development are expected to be completed by March 2026.
“By June next year I will return to inspect progress on these 90 units. We do not build houses on open land; developments must be in areas formally identified by municipalities as residential sites. I appeal to residents to stop illegal land occupation,” Simelane said.
She warned that informal settlements often expose communities to future disasters, adding that transparency would be enforced in housing allocations.
“Municipalities must make beneficiary lists public. Houses are free – they are not for sale – and beneficiaries are not allowed to sell government houses,” she stressed.
Free State Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Saki Mokoena said the province had embarked on an aggressive programme in 2022 to address housing backlogs, noting that the Free State remains one of the provinces with the highest housing challenges in the country.
Mokoena said the new township would cater for a mix of housing options, including government-subsidised houses, bonded units, financed homes and rental accommodation.
“We have already started installing bulk services such as water and paved roads, and we are engaging Eskom for electricity connections. Power will be connected once construction is complete,” he said.
Contractors appointed for the project include Black Bird Consulting, Mamondo Development and Thandi Nkosi Contractors.
