Date: 12/11/2008

Source: Department of Housing, Gauteng Provincial Government

Title: SA: Mokonyane: Statement by MEC Nomvula Mokonyane on key achievements of her department in realising the five-year programme

In June 2004, through the Department's Five Year Strategic Plan, we committed ourselves to changing the spatial development patterns as well as housing designs or typologies which provides people with choice based on their needs and the qualification criteria.

The Department's strategic response to the prevailing material conditions is underpinned by programmes that address different needs for different markets. First and foremost our strategy aims to redress the apartheid spatial development patterns that perpetuated a false sense of racial supremacy on one hand and inferiority on the other. In a nutshell, the Gauteng Housing Delivery Strategy aims to cure this anomaly by:
* developing viable human settlements in well-located land close to economic nodes and hubs of our towns and cities
* promoting quality mixed-housing products for mixed-income groups as a means of fostering integrated racial human settlements
* eradicating informal settlements
* promoting innovation through alternative technology for use in the construction of houses
* enhancing private sector involvement in the funding and construction of houses
* extending housing benefit to cover R3 500 - R7 500 income bracket
* building Gauteng so that it becomes globally competitive (as a Global City Region).

I further stated that:
* the quality and standard of our housing products would be reviewed;
* the informal settlements would be formalised, upgraded and eradicated;
* the 1996/97 beneficiaries on the waiting list and clean-up of the waiting list data would be prioritised;
* old historically black townships would be prioritised for the provision of housing and basic services;
* participatory development principles and promotion of labour intensive technologies/ methods in all our projects would be entrenched;
* non-racial and integrated mixed-income human settlements in well located land would be established;
* security of tenure to be promoted and number of people enjoying security of tenure to be increased; and
* funding agreements for time-bound urban regeneration initiatives with municipalities and other sister departments as well as the rental housing policy would be concluded.

To demonstrate our commitment, between June 2004 and October 2006 we registered the following achievements:
* created over 160 000 new housing opportunities
* through provision of housing and shelter, we have improved the lives of over 600 000 Gauteng residents
* provided 100 000 serviced stands with basic water and sanitation
* we have transferred over 43 000 properties to rightful owners
* more that 12 000 bucket system identified in 2003 was replaced by 2006. An additional 13 588 have been identified for eradication by June 2007
* in line with our indigent policy, 96% households are receiving free basic water and 78% receiving free basic electricity
* implemented 282 community infrastructure projects, including water, sanitation, storm water, lighting, solid waste and community facilities
* implementation of all Urban Renewal Projects with more focus on upgrading of infrastructure, stimulate local economic development and create sustainable jobs.

Last year, we made a commitment that we will deliver 58 552 housing units during the 2007/08 financial year and by the end of March 2008 we had delivered 63 484 way above the target. This resulted in 317 435 people having proper shelter and enjoying security of tenure for the first time in their lives.

In addition to this, we also delivered 26 830 serviced stands out of the targeted 25 159. For the first time the occupants of these stands can enjoy the bliss of easy access to clean water and sanitation. Gauteng Provincial Government created over 650 000 housing opportunities to people of this province which in turn provided shelter for over 1.5 million people.

In 2004, we embarked on a process to register informal settlements and a total of 405 settlements were captured. The total number of households in the informal settlements is about 450 000

It is within informal settlements that the phenomenon of urbanisation of poverty is thriving. Our ongoing commitment to the public is to ensure that all our people live in decent, secure and habitable environments. In achieving this goal, the Department identified 122 informal settlements that will be upgraded by 2009.

To date 68 informal settlements have been formalised (upgraded in situ) and this has resulted in 325 000 people having access to water and sanitation.

As part of our plan to formalise all those identified informal settlements, we are currently putting services to 56 settlements which will benefit a total of 380 000 people. It is our goal to provide necessary services and tenure to about 710 000 people by 2009. We are confident that the 2014 vision is achievable.

The empirical evidence for our commitment can be found in Cosmo City, a human settlement not more than 15 kilometres from here. We have remained true to our promise. We shall continue to strive to meet the goals of economic growth, job creation and poverty alleviation for the poor through the implementation of targeted plans based on needs and aspirations of people.

As we proceed with the journey, the focus will be on consolidating the achievements and completing the work we started within the period of 2004/09, simultaneously beginning to build a solid foundation for 2014. In order to achieve this milestone, we will continue to execute our strategy through the following programmes: Mixed-housing Development, Eradication of Informal Settlements, Alternative Tenure, Urban Renewal Programme and, 20 Prioritised Townships programme (PTP)

Already work is underway in areas such as Pennyville (2 800 housing units), Chief Albert Luthuli Ext 6 (5 389 housing units), Olivenhoutbosch Ext 36 (4 452 housing units), Thorntree View (17 000 housing units), Cosmo City (14 800 housing units) and K206 in Alexandra (3 199 housing units), Dooronkop in Soweto (24 100 housing units), Chief Mogale in Kagiso (9 315 housing units) and Middlevlei in Mohlakeng (3 495 housing units).

Once planning process has been completed, we will move to areas such as Lady Selbourne (6 000 housing units), Danville (2 000 housing units), and Willows (10 977 housing units) just to name a few.

By 2014, Gauteng would have implemented almost fourteen (14) of these projects across the province and this will result in over 150 000 different housing units delivered over a 5 year period.

Since 2004 we have been aggressively accelerating housing delivery by promoting alternative tenure which provides alternative accommodation options for those not seeking permanent housing. This is informed by observable evidence that shows that some of our people prefer rental than having a permanent house in Gauteng.

Hostel eradication, this plan will ensure that we integrate hostels into the neighbouring communities thereby moving away from the old apartheid dormitory accommodation. Our focus will be on completing the following thirteen (13) hostels in Diepkloof, Orlando West, Dube, Kagiso, Mohlakeng, Saulsville, Mamelodi, Refilwe, Sebokeng, Boipatong, Khayalitsha, Sethokga and Buyafuthi.

The backyard upgrade pilot project in Orlando and Boipatong has gone well despite challenges that we faced in the beginning relating to quality work, cash flow problems for contractors, landlord or tenants relationships, and small contractors not complying with norms and standards as well as the availability of material from suppliers.

Based on lesson learnt, the department, together with respective municipalities, is now rolling out to other areas such as Zola, Mamelodi and Atteridgeville and a process of building show houses using alternative technology is underway

In addition, we have introduced the Alternative Tenure programme which provides the Gauteng residents with an opportunity to choose from various options of affordable rental accommodation. This is informed by the material conditions that dictate to us that some of our people rather rent than have a permanent house in Gauteng. This is once a gain an example of programs and actions that are not thumb sucked but rather the products of keeping our ear on the ground.