Mthembi-Mahanyele has been honoured for improving the housing conditions of six million poverty-stricken South Africans while she was housing minister from 1995 to early 2003.
The former minister delivered 1,45-million houses worth R20-billion to six million people within this period.
Mthembi-Mahanyele relinquished her post in February after the ANC elected her as Deputy Secretary-General during its congress in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, last December.
Yesterday's deed forms part of the annual Habitat Scroll of Honour Awards in recognition of the best performing individuals and institutions in the field of human habitation worldwide. The awards are presented during the World Habitat Day Celebrations every year.
Speaking from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the award ceremony, Mabandla said the honour was a confirmation by the UN that South Africa's housing delivery record was indeed unprecedented.
She said the award also confirmed the UN was proud of South Africa's work towards bringing a better life for all people in the country.
She said she believed Mthembi-Mahanyele had laid a solid foundation for housing delivery that every South African ought to be proud of.
“As we approach the third democratic elections and the celebrations for the first decade of freedom, poor people should be proud of Mthembi-Mahanyele's efforts towards housing them in sustainable human settlements,” she said.
By the time she left the office the housing department had delivered close to 1,5-million houses to about 7,3-million people. However, the award recognises government's achievements for delivering 1,4-million houses to six million people by the end of last year Among her achievements the UN has acknowledged is the transfer of 400 000 former municipal houses worth R32-billion for ownership by people who had been renting them.
The award also recognises Mthembi-Mahanyele's role in the initiation and implementation of the Rental Housing and Urban Renewal Programmes as well as her role last year as the chairperson of the First World Urban Forum, a component of UN Habitat.
Meanwhile, the UN has confirmed that South Africa's record of delivering the houses to the poor is unprecedented in the history of housing delivery throughout the world. South Africa's ability to deliver the 1,5-million houses to 7,3-million people within a period of nine years is seen as a milestone. –BuaNews.
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