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SHRA : SHRA Council Member elected Chair of a UN body

 SHRA : SHRA Council Member elected Chair of a UN body

21st October 2016

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The SHRA would like to congratulate Ms Rose Molokoane, a SHRA Council Member, on her election as the Chair of UN Habitat’s World Urban Campaign (WUC). This is an advocacy and partnership platform to raise awareness about positive urban change in order to achieve green, productive, safe, healthy, inclusive and well planned cities. Molokoane’s election to this global platform is fitting, given the selflessness at which she has served the marginalised peoples of South Africa. She is an internationally recognised grassroots activist involved in land tenure and housing issues.

Molokoane was born and raised in an informal settlement dwelling, i.e. a shack in Oukasie, one of the most famous informal settlements in South Africa. Her parents and her older brothers were at the forefront of the community’s decades long struggle against apartheid’s forced removal. This struggle only came to an end in 1989 when the then South African government finally withdrew a plan to demolish the settlement and re-locate over 5000 families to serviced sites at Lethlabile, more that 10kms away from the nearest town centre (Brits). The Molokoane family paid a high price for their commitment. Molokoane’s eldest brother was killed by vigilantes in the employ of the apartheid police.

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In 1991 Molokoane was one of the two delegates from Oakasie to be choses to attend a landmark conference: “A Southern African People’s Dialogue on Land and Shelter”.  Her participation in this meeting propelled her beyond the boundaries of her small town and took her on a path leading to slum settlements on four continents and in over thirty countries.

‘This appointment is exciting for us as the Council. We sit as an oversight body to one of the key areas of housing delivery – social housing – and Rose is always our conscience in ensuring we serve the low to mid-income earners in an honourable and dignified manner, says Chair of the SHRA Council, Mr Zolile Ngcakani who also added that her invaluable inputs into social housing brings in wealth of experience and exposure positively influence settlement patterns in South Africa.

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Molokoane, was the first South African to be elected co-ordinator of the Shackdwellers International in 1992. The South African slumdwellers, under her coordination conducted a settlement-wide mapping and enumeration process and launched the very first savings scheme in South Africa – the Oukasi Savings Scheme. By 1993 there were over 60 active savings schemes in the country and a team of regional coordinators at community level was selected. In 1994 Molokoane was elected as co-National Chairperson of the South African Homeless People’s Federation and elected into the first Government’s Housing Support Task Team under the then Minister of Housing Joe Slovo.

By the year 2000 the South African Homeless People’s Federation had constructed over 15 000 houses, secured more than 1000 hectares in land for the development and built many community centres. They translated R15million in capital and in subsidies into an estimated R500million assets - especially housing. Their membership has more than 150 000 savers, of whom approximately 90% were women.

Molokoane works with eleven Federations in eleven other African countries and also gives support to Federations in Asia and Brasil. She serves on several boards and advisory committees.

Here at home. Molokoane works with over 750 savings groups in the Federation and links them to centres for learning in the Coalition of the Urban Poor. She is also part of the Federations’ advisory team to the Minister of Human Settlements, Lindiwe Sisulu and works with the national Working for Water management (a Public Works programme) all which places her well within integrated and sustainable development in South Africa.

In her capacity as Chair of WUC, Molokoane will head up a steering committee of 136 partners and networks (including Oxfam, Metropolis and World Vision) from around the world and also advise UN-Habitat’s Executive Director.

 

Issued by SHRA

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