A former member of parliament (MP), who has since also ventured into the world of academia, hopes that his research will help find solutions for the housing problems that the country battles with. In his mini-dissertation for his master’s degree, he focuses on the low-cost housing scheme at Tshikota.

In political circles, the name Moss Tseli is well known. He is a former Chief Whip of the Makhado Municipality and served as a MP between 2014 and 2019. He also worked at the Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, where he was the official spokesperson of then MEC, the late Mr Collins Chabane, and the department. He currently works at the Limpopo Tourism Agency, where he is responsible for destination marketing.

In between his work, he also found the time to further his studies, and on 17 May, he climbed the podium at the University of Venda’s graduation ceremony to receive his master’s degree. His research focuses on a very contentious subject, namely low-cost housing.

According to Tseli, he was intrigued by a court case in 2022 where the Makhado Municipality had to obtain an interdict to evict illegal occupants of land at Tshikota. He was a member of the town council many years ago, when low-cost housing units were built, and it made him wonder what, if anything, had gone wrong and how such conflict could be avoided.

“There have been reported complaints by rightful owners who claimed that their houses have been awarded to the wrong people, causing the deserving ones to remain homeless,” he said in an interview two weeks ago. In his study, he tries to focus on the goals set for low-cost housing schemes and measure how successfully the system was implemented in Tshikota.

The study concludes that the project succeeded in promoting inclusivity and empowerment but points out that some serious challenges exist. These include limited access to funding for the occupants, corruption among officials, and inadequate urban planning.

Tseli interviewed various role players and asked them to discuss the problems they had experienced with the project and to suggest how the system could be improved. The conclusion was that, in spite of many successes, “housing delivery has not proceeded as planned.” The process can be improved by, among other measures, including communities where such projects are implemented.

His study also makes clear that the solution lies in a multi-faceted approach. This means that factors such as the location of the land, the materials used in the construction process, and the close proximity of services such as schools and clinics need to be incorporated.

Tseli handed over a copy of his research to Makhado Municipality’s mayor, Dorcus Mmboyi, who was also present at a special welcoming dinner shortly after his graduation.