Date: 26/10/2005
Source: Ministry of Housing
Title: Sisulu: National Homebuilders Registration Council awards ceremony
Speech by Minister of Housing LN Sisulu at the awards ceremony of the National Homebuilders Registration Council (NHBRC), Johannesburg
Master of ceremonies,
Members of the Executive Councils
Your Worship, Mayor Amos Masondo,
The Chief Executive Officer of the NHBRC Representatives of building contractors
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen:
I am certain that for all of us sitting here this is a culmination of a very successful year. For me personally, this has been an important year in the calendar of our democracy. I am certain that my optimism within the housing arena is felt by many. Not only were we changing the institutions to focus more on delivery, the NHBRC, the youngest of our housing institutions has come of age.
I remember the pride I felt as I drove to Johannesburg six months ago and there was this great, big advertisement, indicating that the NHBRC had moved. It was not advertising what the National Homebuilders Registration Council was but indicating that this already established institution had moved. Pity about the fact that the advertisement was such a boring picture: just make sure next time that you have an attractive advert (my apologies to the agency that produced it).
The vision of a society living in security and comfort that we consistently upheld throughout from the Freedom Charter to the Reconstruction and Development Programme is now realisable. A blueprint exists to end the rows upon rows of matchboxes with numerous gaping holes and falling roofs that harm our economy and deny our people their dignity. Signifying the work of parasitic and unscrupulous contractors these shoddy houses raise the spectre of a severe crisis in the event of a strong natural disaster.
It has now become an established fact that we have now adopted a new strategy towards challenges. But what is not generally known is that the NHBRC stands at the centre of its implementation. When we promise our people human settlements where there are decent houses, we depend on the NHBRC to set the standard and indeed ensure that what we produce is decent houses.
You are all very familiar with the level of shoddiness in our stock. Around the months of June and July it became quite fashionable for the public broadcaster and etv to show the quality of housing. In fact, I began to think that whenever they ran short of programmes, they would resort to clips on shoddy houses countrywide. But you and I know without having to rely on television, that some of the work we have produced is appalling.
Our collective reputation depends on this changing drastically. The NHBRC has primary responsibility for redeeming our reputation. I look forward to the NHBRC creating a system where each house can be certified in the same way that cars are certified.
I was very glad that at the recent Social Contract Indaba in Cape Town, the important issue of a Code of Conduct was dealt with. Here all contractors who are signatories to the contract committed themselves to building with integrity. How we monitor this compliance will be for the NHBRC to work out.
One of the most interesting things to come out of the work of the NHBRC was a model of what a typical BNG house would look like. This took into account the quality of the house and the size of the subsidy. What they have produced is a standard that will become a requirement for all houses we produce.
The NHBRC had provided us with a model and various designs for low-cost housing that came complete with two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, shower and sink unit. On the basis of the model, it informed us, it was also possible to negotiate a reduction in prices for building materials with the industry within the context of a social contract.
This is so much more important now that we have determined that a house will serve as an asset, the basis of that which will propel our people out of poverty. For this to qualify as an asset, certain standards have to be set and met.
Having accepted that there is no way we can turn a blind eye to the fact that we sit with a great deal of shoddy work. We have taken a decision to repair that which is shoddily built.
In this regard I am informed that the NHBRC already has plans to assist Gauteng to conduct a forensic auditing of approximately 9000 subsidy houses built from 1994 to 2002. This work will give us the first test of our commitment as government collectively, provincially and nationally, to repair and/ or follow-up on the shoddy work that had been done to date and that has left many of our people feeling despondent. I have no doubt in my mind that the task will be difficult but I am counting on the co-operation of all the stakeholders involved. This is a part of the social contract which is key to enabling us to deliver the kind of quality housing that is fundamental to the dignity of our people: the kind of quality housing that will enable them to enjoy the fruits of liberty.
We have come of age indeed, when within the space of a year I can count no less that three major projects that have been undertaken by the NHBRC.
Among these, I am pleased to note that the NHBRC recently took a decision to go a further distance in helping us implement the Comprehensive Plan. In Limpopo, near Bela Bela, it has identified the land that is necessary to implement the Youth Letsima. To those who do not know about the project, this is a project that we conceptualised to help the youth attain training to get employment by developing skills in various aspects of construction. The project is being implemented in conjunction with the National Youth Commission, including the Umsobomvu Youth Fund, the South African Youth Council, municipalities and various other government departments. For its first phase it will be implemented in the three provinces of Limpopo, Western Cape and Mpumalanga. Accordingly, its focus is on unemployed young people. We envisaged that the project will in all take three years with an envisaged nine months implementation within provinces. This will serve the purpose of also training for construction skills.
I am informed that we are likely to see very interesting results of a subsidy house that measures 60 square metres. We look forward to that.
The housing chapter in South Africa has entered a new phase. Even though we remain focused and committed as government to remain an enabler in housing, we are nonetheless, concerned about the quality of housing to our people, in particular the poor. This is because in housing we see the foundation where the hope of our people could be built and sustained over many years.
A process to review the National Housing Code to give further impetus to this has been started. The review is being presided over by a Task Team that will have as comprehensive a representation of the different stakeholders in housing as is possible. Fundamentally, the review seeks to align the National Housing Code to the Comprehensive Plan. It would ensure that implementation guidelines are easier to read, are flexible and allow for speedier delivery.
Because the new direction provides certain accredited municipalities with powers of control at local level there are indications that we would need more support from the private sector. We would want to ensure that our people not only enjoy the right to live wherever they choose in terms of the Plan, but are also decently housed to provide for security and comfort. We would want to ensure that they bring up their families in comfort and security having access to quality health care as well as education. We would want to end the misery and the exclusion that our people currently live under. We are convinced that all of this is achievable through quality housing. As the report of the Human Sciences Research Council titled The State of the People warns us about the necessity to do this in the following way:
"In a democracy that is still in a process of consolidation a decline in confidence in government capacity to deliver to satisfy people’s needs – especially if the decline is linked to poor government performance – can have a dramatic impact on democratic values. In such circumstances it may be very difficult to sustain democratic institutions".
We call on each and everyone to help sustain institutions such as the NHBRC, which are necessary to build the confidence of our people. In addition, we trust that those who have signed the social contract with us will stay the course as we scale delivery from the beginning of 2006, using the models and the designs provided for by the NHBRC. An occasion such as this provides all of us with the opportunity to observe the recognition for our respective contribution to the achievement of the goal of a better life for our people. We wish all of those who are yet to make these recognisable strides be encouraged to do more and more. May our country, through your efforts, continue to enjoy the recognition of our peers internationally in addressing the challenges of providing sustainable and quality human settlements.
As South Africans, black and white, rich or poor, let us continue to work together to achieve greater results in the second decade of our freedom.
I thank you.
Issued by: Ministry of Housing
26 October 2005
Source: Ministry of Housing
Title: Sisulu: National Homebuilders Registration Council awards ceremony
Speech by Minister of Housing LN Sisulu at the awards ceremony of the National Homebuilders Registration Council (NHBRC), Johannesburg
Master of ceremonies,
Members of the Executive Councils
Your Worship, Mayor Amos Masondo,
The Chief Executive Officer of the NHBRC Representatives of building contractors
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen:
I am certain that for all of us sitting here this is a culmination of a very successful year. For me personally, this has been an important year in the calendar of our democracy. I am certain that my optimism within the housing arena is felt by many. Not only were we changing the institutions to focus more on delivery, the NHBRC, the youngest of our housing institutions has come of age.
I remember the pride I felt as I drove to Johannesburg six months ago and there was this great, big advertisement, indicating that the NHBRC had moved. It was not advertising what the National Homebuilders Registration Council was but indicating that this already established institution had moved. Pity about the fact that the advertisement was such a boring picture: just make sure next time that you have an attractive advert (my apologies to the agency that produced it).
The vision of a society living in security and comfort that we consistently upheld throughout from the Freedom Charter to the Reconstruction and Development Programme is now realisable. A blueprint exists to end the rows upon rows of matchboxes with numerous gaping holes and falling roofs that harm our economy and deny our people their dignity. Signifying the work of parasitic and unscrupulous contractors these shoddy houses raise the spectre of a severe crisis in the event of a strong natural disaster.
It has now become an established fact that we have now adopted a new strategy towards challenges. But what is not generally known is that the NHBRC stands at the centre of its implementation. When we promise our people human settlements where there are decent houses, we depend on the NHBRC to set the standard and indeed ensure that what we produce is decent houses.
You are all very familiar with the level of shoddiness in our stock. Around the months of June and July it became quite fashionable for the public broadcaster and etv to show the quality of housing. In fact, I began to think that whenever they ran short of programmes, they would resort to clips on shoddy houses countrywide. But you and I know without having to rely on television, that some of the work we have produced is appalling.
Our collective reputation depends on this changing drastically. The NHBRC has primary responsibility for redeeming our reputation. I look forward to the NHBRC creating a system where each house can be certified in the same way that cars are certified.
I was very glad that at the recent Social Contract Indaba in Cape Town, the important issue of a Code of Conduct was dealt with. Here all contractors who are signatories to the contract committed themselves to building with integrity. How we monitor this compliance will be for the NHBRC to work out.
One of the most interesting things to come out of the work of the NHBRC was a model of what a typical BNG house would look like. This took into account the quality of the house and the size of the subsidy. What they have produced is a standard that will become a requirement for all houses we produce.
The NHBRC had provided us with a model and various designs for low-cost housing that came complete with two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, shower and sink unit. On the basis of the model, it informed us, it was also possible to negotiate a reduction in prices for building materials with the industry within the context of a social contract.
This is so much more important now that we have determined that a house will serve as an asset, the basis of that which will propel our people out of poverty. For this to qualify as an asset, certain standards have to be set and met.
Having accepted that there is no way we can turn a blind eye to the fact that we sit with a great deal of shoddy work. We have taken a decision to repair that which is shoddily built.
In this regard I am informed that the NHBRC already has plans to assist Gauteng to conduct a forensic auditing of approximately 9000 subsidy houses built from 1994 to 2002. This work will give us the first test of our commitment as government collectively, provincially and nationally, to repair and/ or follow-up on the shoddy work that had been done to date and that has left many of our people feeling despondent. I have no doubt in my mind that the task will be difficult but I am counting on the co-operation of all the stakeholders involved. This is a part of the social contract which is key to enabling us to deliver the kind of quality housing that is fundamental to the dignity of our people: the kind of quality housing that will enable them to enjoy the fruits of liberty.
We have come of age indeed, when within the space of a year I can count no less that three major projects that have been undertaken by the NHBRC.
Among these, I am pleased to note that the NHBRC recently took a decision to go a further distance in helping us implement the Comprehensive Plan. In Limpopo, near Bela Bela, it has identified the land that is necessary to implement the Youth Letsima. To those who do not know about the project, this is a project that we conceptualised to help the youth attain training to get employment by developing skills in various aspects of construction. The project is being implemented in conjunction with the National Youth Commission, including the Umsobomvu Youth Fund, the South African Youth Council, municipalities and various other government departments. For its first phase it will be implemented in the three provinces of Limpopo, Western Cape and Mpumalanga. Accordingly, its focus is on unemployed young people. We envisaged that the project will in all take three years with an envisaged nine months implementation within provinces. This will serve the purpose of also training for construction skills.
I am informed that we are likely to see very interesting results of a subsidy house that measures 60 square metres. We look forward to that.
The housing chapter in South Africa has entered a new phase. Even though we remain focused and committed as government to remain an enabler in housing, we are nonetheless, concerned about the quality of housing to our people, in particular the poor. This is because in housing we see the foundation where the hope of our people could be built and sustained over many years.
A process to review the National Housing Code to give further impetus to this has been started. The review is being presided over by a Task Team that will have as comprehensive a representation of the different stakeholders in housing as is possible. Fundamentally, the review seeks to align the National Housing Code to the Comprehensive Plan. It would ensure that implementation guidelines are easier to read, are flexible and allow for speedier delivery.
Because the new direction provides certain accredited municipalities with powers of control at local level there are indications that we would need more support from the private sector. We would want to ensure that our people not only enjoy the right to live wherever they choose in terms of the Plan, but are also decently housed to provide for security and comfort. We would want to ensure that they bring up their families in comfort and security having access to quality health care as well as education. We would want to end the misery and the exclusion that our people currently live under. We are convinced that all of this is achievable through quality housing. As the report of the Human Sciences Research Council titled The State of the People warns us about the necessity to do this in the following way:
"In a democracy that is still in a process of consolidation a decline in confidence in government capacity to deliver to satisfy people’s needs – especially if the decline is linked to poor government performance – can have a dramatic impact on democratic values. In such circumstances it may be very difficult to sustain democratic institutions".
We call on each and everyone to help sustain institutions such as the NHBRC, which are necessary to build the confidence of our people. In addition, we trust that those who have signed the social contract with us will stay the course as we scale delivery from the beginning of 2006, using the models and the designs provided for by the NHBRC. An occasion such as this provides all of us with the opportunity to observe the recognition for our respective contribution to the achievement of the goal of a better life for our people. We wish all of those who are yet to make these recognisable strides be encouraged to do more and more. May our country, through your efforts, continue to enjoy the recognition of our peers internationally in addressing the challenges of providing sustainable and quality human settlements.
As South Africans, black and white, rich or poor, let us continue to work together to achieve greater results in the second decade of our freedom.
I thank you.
Issued by: Ministry of Housing
26 October 2005
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