Date: 07/09/2004
Source: Ministry of Housing
Title: L Sisulu: SA programme of implementation of resolution of WSSD
STATEMENT BY LN SISULU, MINISTER OF HOUSING, ON THE SOUTH AFRICAN PROGRAMME OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RESOLUTION OF THE WSSD AND THE JOHANNESBURG PLAN OF IMPLEMENTATION AS IT RELATES TO HUMAN SETTLEMENTS, Sandton, Johannesburg, 7 September 2004
A GROUND BREAKING PLAN TO BUILD SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
Taking forward the implementation of the Habitat Agenda for sustainable human settlements, the UN Millennium Development Goals and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, we recently took certain and urgent steps to make sure that as a country we delivered on the WSSD Summit resolutions that took place here in 2002.
After extensive consultations with various stakeholders and interviews we delivered on 1 September a Housing Plan and got approval from Cabinet for the development of human settlements in South Africa for the next five years. The Plan conceptualises human settlements as those entities that provide healthy and secure living environments and where everyone will have access to the services and goods produced by society. It provides for the provision of a total package of infrastructure such as clinics, schools, police stations, community facilities, shops and clinics within the vicinity of actually built homes, in facilitation of good governance.
As we commemorate the second anniversary of the WSSD Summit therefore the Plan marries our own objectives with those of the WSSD and the resolutions contained in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation to ensure access to adequate shelter for all South Africans on a progressive basis, particularly those living in informal settlements. Its strategic thrust, in addition, goes to the heart of building a caring, an equitable and a humane society that upholds and protects the dignity of all.
The Plan's necessity stems from requirement to redirect and enhance existing mechanisms to move towards a more responsive and effective delivery in line with the resolutions adopted by the WSSD Summit in 2002 that commits government to both sustainable development and speedy delivery.
Under the Plan the South African government, takes responsibility for providing the bare minimum for the hard core poor (income levels 0 - R1, 500) by providing them with a full housing subsidy of R28, 500. The poor (income levels R1, 500 - R3, 500) also receive the full subsidy but would be required to provide either a small contribution or sweat equity. A newly created subsidy band in terms of the Plan targets the middle-income level (those earning R3, 500 to R 7,000 pm), to provide affordable housing.
A house will be an asset in the hands of the poor to alleviate poverty. This will be achieved through enhancing access to title. The demand-side individual subsidy instrument will be introduced to enable individuals to purchase existing houses.
Densification and integration will be promoted with the objective of integrating previously excluded groups and to ensure the development of more integrated, functional and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. The Department will investigate the introduction of mechanisms such as residential development permits to facilitate income integration and access to social infrastructure.
The Plan emphasises enhancing the location of projects through a housing land policy, which will target well-located public and private land. The guidelines in this respect are expected to be complete by December 2004.
A new funding mechanism will be introduced to fund the development of the primary social/community facilities, which will focus on informal settlement upgrading projects, completed housing projects still lacking social facilities and new housing projects. The programme will provide funding assistance amounting to 50% of the primary, social/ community facility development costs of projects implemented by district councils, while 100% of the development costs of projects implemented by local municipalities will be funded.
It proposes enhancing settlement design by introducing measures and incentives to include design professionals at planning and project design stages, and will develop design guidelines for designers and regulators to achieve sustainable and environmentally efficient settlements.
An audit and development of a programme to address the poor quality of houses built before the introduction of national norms and standards and the NHBRC Warranty Scheme will be undertaken. Municipalities will also be encouraged to fulfil their role to ensure compliance with building plan approvals and township establishment conditions.
Social (medium density) housing instrument will enhance the mobility of people and promote a non-racial, integrated society that implies the delivery of housing products that provide adequate shelter to households whilst simultaneously enhancing flexibility and mobility.
A Rural Housing Strategy to support rural housing dealing with a comprehensive range of housing related issues, such as tenure, livelihood strategies and broader socio-cultural issues, is to be developed. After a policy development phase, it is anticipated that implementation would commence in April 2005.
A farm worker and farm dweller policy is being developed to respond to the housing needs of this constituency, including policy recommendations that will consider the economic, social, and institutional sustainability of farm worker settlements, the required institutional framework, the roles and responsibilities of implementing agencies, technical norms and standards, tenure security, suitable subsidy mechanisms, and legislative amendments.
Finally, the human settlements Plan will maximise job creation through a Job Creation Strategy that is being developed to encourage the creation of increased job opportunities through the installation of infrastructure, the construction of houses, the construction of social/economic infrastructure and the management and maintenance of housing stock. Labour intensive construction methods will be incorporated into the provision of housing through adherence to guidelines.
All the initiatives of the Plan are underpinned by a special focus on empowering women, both as producers and consumers of housing. In this regard we will ensure that 30% of all construction work in housing goes to women owned construction companies. The Plan also focuses on the needs of special groups such as the disabled. It offers hope for everyone in the country - a hope for a better South Africa and symbolises our commitment to the ideal of the creation of a better world.
As South Africa, we remain committed to the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and will be taking this commitment to the deliberations of the World Urban Forum in Barcelona, in Spain next week.
Issued by: Ministry of Housing
7 September 2004
Source: Department of Housing (http://www.housing.gov.za)
Source: Ministry of Housing
Title: L Sisulu: SA programme of implementation of resolution of WSSD
STATEMENT BY LN SISULU, MINISTER OF HOUSING, ON THE SOUTH AFRICAN PROGRAMME OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RESOLUTION OF THE WSSD AND THE JOHANNESBURG PLAN OF IMPLEMENTATION AS IT RELATES TO HUMAN SETTLEMENTS, Sandton, Johannesburg, 7 September 2004
A GROUND BREAKING PLAN TO BUILD SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
Taking forward the implementation of the Habitat Agenda for sustainable human settlements, the UN Millennium Development Goals and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, we recently took certain and urgent steps to make sure that as a country we delivered on the WSSD Summit resolutions that took place here in 2002.
After extensive consultations with various stakeholders and interviews we delivered on 1 September a Housing Plan and got approval from Cabinet for the development of human settlements in South Africa for the next five years. The Plan conceptualises human settlements as those entities that provide healthy and secure living environments and where everyone will have access to the services and goods produced by society. It provides for the provision of a total package of infrastructure such as clinics, schools, police stations, community facilities, shops and clinics within the vicinity of actually built homes, in facilitation of good governance.
As we commemorate the second anniversary of the WSSD Summit therefore the Plan marries our own objectives with those of the WSSD and the resolutions contained in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation to ensure access to adequate shelter for all South Africans on a progressive basis, particularly those living in informal settlements. Its strategic thrust, in addition, goes to the heart of building a caring, an equitable and a humane society that upholds and protects the dignity of all.
The Plan's necessity stems from requirement to redirect and enhance existing mechanisms to move towards a more responsive and effective delivery in line with the resolutions adopted by the WSSD Summit in 2002 that commits government to both sustainable development and speedy delivery.
Under the Plan the South African government, takes responsibility for providing the bare minimum for the hard core poor (income levels 0 - R1, 500) by providing them with a full housing subsidy of R28, 500. The poor (income levels R1, 500 - R3, 500) also receive the full subsidy but would be required to provide either a small contribution or sweat equity. A newly created subsidy band in terms of the Plan targets the middle-income level (those earning R3, 500 to R 7,000 pm), to provide affordable housing.
A house will be an asset in the hands of the poor to alleviate poverty. This will be achieved through enhancing access to title. The demand-side individual subsidy instrument will be introduced to enable individuals to purchase existing houses.
Densification and integration will be promoted with the objective of integrating previously excluded groups and to ensure the development of more integrated, functional and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. The Department will investigate the introduction of mechanisms such as residential development permits to facilitate income integration and access to social infrastructure.
The Plan emphasises enhancing the location of projects through a housing land policy, which will target well-located public and private land. The guidelines in this respect are expected to be complete by December 2004.
A new funding mechanism will be introduced to fund the development of the primary social/community facilities, which will focus on informal settlement upgrading projects, completed housing projects still lacking social facilities and new housing projects. The programme will provide funding assistance amounting to 50% of the primary, social/ community facility development costs of projects implemented by district councils, while 100% of the development costs of projects implemented by local municipalities will be funded.
It proposes enhancing settlement design by introducing measures and incentives to include design professionals at planning and project design stages, and will develop design guidelines for designers and regulators to achieve sustainable and environmentally efficient settlements.
An audit and development of a programme to address the poor quality of houses built before the introduction of national norms and standards and the NHBRC Warranty Scheme will be undertaken. Municipalities will also be encouraged to fulfil their role to ensure compliance with building plan approvals and township establishment conditions.
Social (medium density) housing instrument will enhance the mobility of people and promote a non-racial, integrated society that implies the delivery of housing products that provide adequate shelter to households whilst simultaneously enhancing flexibility and mobility.
A Rural Housing Strategy to support rural housing dealing with a comprehensive range of housing related issues, such as tenure, livelihood strategies and broader socio-cultural issues, is to be developed. After a policy development phase, it is anticipated that implementation would commence in April 2005.
A farm worker and farm dweller policy is being developed to respond to the housing needs of this constituency, including policy recommendations that will consider the economic, social, and institutional sustainability of farm worker settlements, the required institutional framework, the roles and responsibilities of implementing agencies, technical norms and standards, tenure security, suitable subsidy mechanisms, and legislative amendments.
Finally, the human settlements Plan will maximise job creation through a Job Creation Strategy that is being developed to encourage the creation of increased job opportunities through the installation of infrastructure, the construction of houses, the construction of social/economic infrastructure and the management and maintenance of housing stock. Labour intensive construction methods will be incorporated into the provision of housing through adherence to guidelines.
All the initiatives of the Plan are underpinned by a special focus on empowering women, both as producers and consumers of housing. In this regard we will ensure that 30% of all construction work in housing goes to women owned construction companies. The Plan also focuses on the needs of special groups such as the disabled. It offers hope for everyone in the country - a hope for a better South Africa and symbolises our commitment to the ideal of the creation of a better world.
As South Africa, we remain committed to the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and will be taking this commitment to the deliberations of the World Urban Forum in Barcelona, in Spain next week.
Issued by: Ministry of Housing
7 September 2004
Source: Department of Housing (http://www.housing.gov.za)
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