Khayalethu’s fight for formalisation: A struggle for home, dignity, and recognition

• Khayalethu’s residents, mostly former backyard dwellers, won a legal battle to stay but still face ongoing struggles for formalisation and services. Khayalethu’s fight for formalisation remains at the heart of the community’s story.
• The community suffers from inadequate infrastructure, with legal status withheld due to city claims about road reserves.
• Residents call on the City of Tshwane to recognise their rights and urgently provide essential services and safety.

In 2013, Lawyers for Human Rights won a landmark legal challenge against the City of Tshwane in the North Gauteng High Court, securing the right for former backyard dwellers at Khayalethu in Atteridgeville to rebuild their homes.

The City of Tshwane had excluded backyard dwellers from its relocation of area residents to Elandsfontein in Danville. “But as residents, we felt that you cannot relocate the owners and leave behind the backyard dwellers,” recalled Zweli Magubane, a community leader.

Magubane is part of a community forum that includes Sello Malaka, Ronny Khomola, Makoma Malaka, and Segapi Matlou. The forum was established after the court victory to bridge the gap between Khayalethu residents and the City of Tshwane.

After the relocation, former backyard dwellers tried to rebuild their homes, but the City of Tshwane demolished their shacks. With support from Lawyers for Human Rights, residents took their case to the High Court, which ordered the City to return seized building materials. The residents resettled, and today Khayalethu is home to more than 600 households, mostly former backyard dwellers.

Origins and legal struggle

Khayalethu, Xhosa for “Our Home,” was established in 2003 by residents relocated from Lapologa under an ANC-led administration, then headed by mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa. “When we came here, they promised us residential stands, but that did not happen. Several mayors have taken office since then, but we are still in limbo,” Magubane said.

“We have basic services here, including flushing toilets. We appeal to Tshwane to formalise the area; we are part of the broader community. We have named this area Khayalethu, and it forms part of Atteridgeville Extension 16. Our children receive government-subsidised transport to schools. Yet, after all these years, Khayalethu’s fight for formalisation continues, as Tshwane claims it is classified as a road reserve.”

Infrastructure and Daily Realities

Sello Malaka described growing desperation among residents, who have lived in Khayalethu for over 20 years. “This area is our home. We don’t want to leave. We want this area to be formalised so we can benefit from the same services as other areas. This is our home; this is Khayalethu,” he said.

“We have been here for a long time. We have Wi-Fi connectivity, but without electricity. City officials need to visit and see the conditions in which we live. This is a proper township, but without official status,” said Malaka.

Matlou emphasised the need for development, noting that progress is stalled as long as the area remains classified as a road reserve. “People are prepared to pay for services. Even electricity is illegally connected,” added Malaka.

“We know it is not right to illegally connect electricity, but we cannot stay in the dark. The infrastructure here, including ablution blocks, is incomplete. Money has been spent on infrastructure that does not serve the whole area. Why not just come back and finish what they started?”

Malaka argued that development should not take long, as much of the necessary infrastructure already exists. “Why not complete instead of destroying what has been started? To relocate us would be a disaster. We have been here too long. Our children go to schools in the vicinity. It would take years for us to settle elsewhere.”

Khomola echoed these concerns, highlighting electricity as a major issue. “We are ready to pay, but we need services. When it comes to electricity, we do what we must, hence the illegal connections. We cannot be without electricity,” Khomola said.

“How do you install Wi-Fi in an area you plan to relocate? We have been here for years. We have built houses here. How can you relocate us and expect us to start over?”

The call for formalisation and safety

Makoma Malaka said the government is failing residents. She insisted the matter cannot wait for the 2026 local government election. “There is no guarantee the next administration will do the right thing.”

“We want this resolved now. We have been voting for years, hoping things would improve, but nothing has changed. I am fighting for women’s rights here, especially in a country where gender-based violence is rife. When a crime occurs, we can’t see at night because of the lack of electricity. Illegal connections can be removed at any time. Give us a safety net by formalising this area so we can have reliable electricity and other essential services,” she said.

On Tuesday, 7 October 2025, Conviction.co.za contacted the City of Tshwane to ask why Khayalethu remains classified as a road reserve and what is preventing formalisation. We also raised residents’ concerns about relocation, the impact on schooling and community cohesion, the fate of self-built homes, and measures to improve gender-based safety.

The City of Tshwane indicated it would respond once the relevant department had provided feedback, but this has yet to happen. Conviction.co.za will update this article as soon as a response is received.

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