Issued by: SA Communication Service
1 JULY 1996
A high level meeting was held today in Pretoria between a Government delegation led by the Minister of Housing: Minister Sankie Mthembi-Mahanyele and the National Leadership of the South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO), led by its President Mlungisi Hlongwane.
The meeting called for by Minister Mthembi-Mahanyele deliberated on issues concerning the Record of Understanding signed between the Association of Mortgage Lenders and the Government in 1994.
The meeting further agreed that the current political impasse did not contribute to a positive climate for housing development and that a Joint Technical Task Team be urgently convened to attend to technical issues relating to the Record of Understanding, with the view to ensuring maximum collaboration and cooperation between Government and SANCO structures.
SANCO reiterated its support of Masakhane and stance that it has not called for bond boycotts and that once final agreement was reached, it would stand firmly behind Government in ensuring that those individual borrowers able and unwilling to meet their financial obligations would not be protected by SANCO.
Finally, the Minister noted that in addition to the Technical Task Team, the meeting had agreed to establish a more communicative and cooperative relationship that would on a monthly basis review the relationship on the Record of Understanding and broader housing issues to ensure optimal solutions to the housing challenge.
For further information contact: Minister Sankie Mthembi-Mahanyele Minister of Housing Tel: 012-44-2748 Fax: 012-341-8513
Mlungisi Hlongwane President: SANCO Tel: 011-838-5090 Fax: 011-838-5094