| Summary: | The demand for well-located land in order to be developed for the upper-middle
to high-income housing, industries, offices, retail, etc in Mbombela Local
Municipality, is substantial. Within the past 10 years, Mbombela Local
Municipality, has experienced an increase in residential development on welllocated
land in and around its urban centres, i.e. Nelspruit, White River and
Hazyview. Most of the land in and around these urban centres is privately owned,
and as such, development is mainly driven by the market forces. However, there
has been persistence in the peripheralisation of the poor through the government’s
programme on low-cost housing delivery in Mbombela Local Municipality. The
high demand of well-located land has triggered high land prices and this is one of
the causes of lack of access to urban land by the poor. Despite good government
policies on socio-economic integration, there seems to be no challenges on the
current situation, either by government, Mbombela Local Municipality or private
organisations. This research argues that the lack of access to urban land by the
poor is the cause of the persistent peripheralisation through the programme of
low-cost housing delivery in Mbombela Local Municipality. These urban centres
(Nelspruit, White River and Hazyview) accommodate only those who have power
to purchase, and thus, creates a socio-economic gap because the poor are excluded
by the market forces in these areas. Since the government and Mbombela Local
Municipality own less land in and around the urban centres, the market forces
become the sole supply of well-located land. It is therefore imperative that
government, Mbombela Local Municipality and private organisations forge a
partnership with the private sector and deduce a sound strategy that will seek to
address and challenge the current situation.
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