Media statement by Gauteng MEC for Housing, Nomvula Mokonyane, on the key commitments and priorities for 2008 19 February 2008 The Premier has laid the base for what needs to be done in our province and we are optimistic that we will deliver on the commitments. The department remains committed and focused and will forge ahead with its objectives of accelerating the delivery of quality houses and thereby fulfilling the mandate bestowed to us by people of Gauteng. In moving forward towards 2014 vision, our main goal is to ensure a sustainable housing and human settlement process to realise housing with secure tenure, within a safe and healthy environment and the development of viable communities for all people. We have to deal with the challenge of how to best optimise the use of space available to the urban poor and unemployed in targeted areas, enabling these people to find alternative local economic development paths that are collectively determined by them. Last year we made a commitment that we will deliver 58 552 house units in the 2007/08 financial year and by the end of the third quarter we have delivered 49 377 units and are geared towards finishing the outstanding units by the end of the current financial year. We have also delivered 18 806 serviced stands out of the targeted 25 159 and we are very optimistic that by the end of the financial year all the targeted stands will be serviced as expected. The following will inform and drive the department in the next financial year:
For the next financial year (2008/09) we plan to deliver 88 400 different housing units through the Mixed Housing Development, Eradication of Informal Settlements and Alternative Tenure. We expect 297 760 people to benefit from this initiative. In line with the Breaking New Ground (BNG) national housing strategy, we are currently implementing major housing development projects within the province and once these are completed, it will cater for the different needs of people based on their choice and what is affordable. As we strive to fast-track delivery, we are vigorously channelling our energies on the effective implementation of the following key priority areas: Mixed-housing Development, Eradication of Informal Settlements, Alternative Tenure, Urban Renewal Programme and 20 Prioritised Townships Programme (PTP) Implementation plan for 2008/09 In Mixed Housing Programme, the department will continue with construction in the identified projects and target to deliver 30 000 housing units. Already work is underway in areas such as Chief Luthuli Ext 6, Olievenhoutbosch Ext 36, Thorntree View, Cosmo City and K206 in Alexandra. In next financial year more projects will be implemented in areas such as Doornkop, Kagiso or Azaadville, Middelvlei, Lady Selbourne, Danville and Nelmapius, just to name a few. Our primary objective is to continue creating integrated communities, and do away with the old apartheid system of spatial planning whereby people were segregated according to colour and wealth. All these mixed developments will ensure that communities are well integrated (social integration) and are well located for economic development. The poor for the first time have had direct opportunities of being integrated into the mainstream housing market. The cross subsidisation of basic services and infrastructure and savings on infrastructure development have been some of the bi- products in these projects. The issue of choice within affordability has been translated to reality as various housing typologies based on the socio-economic conditions offer maximum choices to the people of South Africa. Through these projects we have been and will continue to realise our objective of creating jobs as well as de-radicalising human settlements and create those that will accommodate all and sundry irrespective of one's background, financial status or social standing. Once completed Gauteng will never be the same again. In terms of Formalisation and Eradication of Informal Settlements, the Premier has alluded to the fact that 103 053 serviced sites are ready for construction of top structure and in this regard 35 000 housing units will be delivered in various areas across the province. In order to meet our target, the usage of alternative building technology will be upscaled to fast track delivery. As part of upgrading the 56 remaining informal settlements, we will provide 26 000 serviced stands with water and sanitation thereby contributing towards eradication of poverty and ensure that people have basic access to services. We have also identified pockets of land earmarked for sustainable human settlements in all the regions within Gauteng province as part of our Land Bank ability strategy and maximize usage of land especially public owned land. In Alternative Tenure, in doing away with the hostels, the programme is targeting eradication of 13 hostels in the province. These hostels will now be turned into construction sites and once completed communities in these areas will be integrated and therefore not have hostels in the current form. In the next financial year, we will deliver 9 500 housing units as part of our hostels redevelopment process. In the same programme (Alternative Tenure) 1 000 backyards are planned for implementation in areas such as Boipatong, Mamelodi, Atteridgeville and more will be identified in other prioritised townships. In terms of Social Housing, we will deliver 4 500 housing units targeting areas within Johannesburg Inner-City, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni. There is no doubt that there is a need to increase the output on the Alternative Tenure programme, as Gauteng continuously deals with challenges of in-migration. The Alternative Tenure programme has given the people of Gauteng a choice and has demystified that government is only about the giveaway houses. The Premier has instructed that together with municipalities of Emfuleni and Westonaria we present to him a revised plan in terms of accelerating delivery. This plan has been worked out and its core delivery focus is on improving infrastructure and provision of shelter which are now been escalated taking best practices from Alexandra. In Bekkersdal we will be relocating people to new identified mixed housing projects such as Middelvlei or Droogeheuwel and Westonaria South whilst we continue completing current infrastructure upgrade projects. In Evaton, the focus is on Housing Upgrade Project. A team has been set up and supported by Community Liaison Officers to identify houses which are dilapidated. A technical team is currently assessing houses and 500 are planned for the upgrade. The private sector partnerships on infrastructure development have had visible impact on these projects. The involvement of Standard Bank in Evaton will result in major investment and improvement of infrastructure and ensure that people have access to economic opportunities. The Twenty Prioritised Township Programme has changed the face of the twenty targeted townships. We will continue to co-ordinate work in this area including maximising the role of our sister departments in the province and municipalities. The department has planned 150 projects for implementation in all these townships in the 2008/09 financial year. The major focus will be to unlock the economic potential of these townships. The private sector has committed itself to this ambitious programme. We are expecting more people to play a role in making our townships areas of economic activity. As pronounced by the Premier, on 24 February 2008, we will be launching the Demand Data Base System which will assist the department to allocate houses to rightful owners. This credible system will further improve and ensure efficient and fast tracked housing delivery in Gauteng. The Demand Data Base will be the department's Planning Tool for housing delivery. Houses will be built according to need and demand. This will ease pressure on those who have been waiting long because there was no housing project in their area. Project Ziveze will see Gauteng citizens coming forward to update their information in our department and municipal offices. The efficiency of the system will put clearer our determination and commitment to deliver diverse products according to individual need, choice and affordability. The project will be piloted in Sedibeng and Metsweding Districts and later be rolled out to the rest of the province. We are on course and have been able to address other social pressing issues facing our communities under special projects. Some of these are the Youth Empowerment Programme where the department has contracted 14 youth contractors for housing development and 27 for Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). We are targeting to increase the number to 25 for those in Housing Development during the 2008/09 financial year. In pursuit of ensuring that women empowerment does take place, the department will in the 2008/09 financial year increase the number of women contractors to be engaged from 23 in 2007 to 30 in 2008. In addition, the special project for the 10 women contractors will be further enhanced with the involvement of the private sector which has committed to bringing resources and expertise in order to fast track empowerment and delivery of houses. The line of March has been given by the Premier and in the spirit of 'Business Unusual' the department is certain that the expectation and mandate of the people of Gauteng shall be met come 2009. For more information contact: Department of Housing Cell: 082 602 5358 |
