Ramaphosa Says 460 Cornubia Homes for Flood Victims Will Be Ready by Mid-2027
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President Cyril Ramaphosa says 460 permanent homes will be completed at Cornubia in KwaZulu-Natal by mid-2027 for families displaced by the 2022 floods, with a further 145 houses under construction in a second phase launched this week.
President Cyril Ramaphosa says 460 permanent homes should be completed at Cornubia in KwaZulu-Natal by mid-2027, as government presses on with resettling families displaced by the devastating floods of 2022.
Speaking at the Cornubia Integrated Human Settlement Project milestone celebration in eThekwini on Thursday, where houses were handed to beneficiaries, Ramaphosa said the families had endured years in temporary accommodation. "In 2022, these families lost everything. Today, they receive a permanent home they can call their own," he said.
Government initially sheltered affected families in mass care centres before moving them into temporary emergency accommodation. The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government identified the Cornubia housing development as part of the solution and directed that units be built for families moving out of temporary accommodation. A further 145 houses are under construction as part of Phase 2, which was launched on Thursday.
The President said the shift from emergency shelter to permanent housing must be completed with urgency, fairness and transparency, and called for outstanding matters to be resolved, including construction delays, beneficiary lists and title deeds. "Emergency accommodation must never become a permanent way of life. The end goal must be housing that delivers dignity," he said.
He added that residents should receive clear information about eligibility requirements, housing allocations, construction progress and relocation dates rather than being left uncertain about when they will be moved. "Let us continue building Cornubia as a place of dignity, opportunity and belonging," Ramaphosa said.