Benoni – Human Settlements Deputy Minister Zou Kota-Fredericks says local government needs to include the participation of the people in housing delivery.
“As Human Settlements, we are saying, there can be no housing delivery if the people are not involved in the discussions about the project of housing wherever they are. At the end of the day, the outcome [housing product], comes out of a particular process, that process includes social compact and that compact is the cornerstone of the IDP (Integrated Development Plans),” the Deputy Minister said.
Speaking during a Human Settlements Summit on Thursday, Deputy Minister Fredericks warned that if communities are not involved in the housing delivery, it becomes an expectation because people don’t know how long they would be on a waiting list.
Hosted by Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, the two-day summit, which started on Thursday, provides all human settlements stakeholders with an opportunity to actively participate and provide input on the human settlements programme, strategies and implementation plans.
It also clearly articulates the position and priority placed on human settlements in the City’s overall operations, including the high level state of the City’s institutional capacity to manage the development of sustainable human settlements.
Deputy Minister highlighted that one of the difficult things about houses is that they can’t be built over a day as many things are needed before the construction begins.
“It takes time, you need land acquisition, you need approvals, bulk infrastructure and all other processes. In that space, you need to engage with the community so that they understand the challenges you are facing.
“We need to plan together with our communities so that at the end of the day as we are crafting policies, they are part and parcel of understanding the level of implementation where they are, because we have a lot of policies,” she explained.
She also challenged the communities to be active citizens and be involved in the service delivery and development of their own communities.
“It starts from your home, by cleaning your environment and by fixing a tap that is leaking …We can make things happen….let’s take off our gloves and work together with our government.”
Among the department’s 2014/2019 plan includes the continuation of the informal settlements upgrading, which talks about bringing basic services to all people, where they are.
The department also targets to implement 1.5 million housing opportunities. In the next five years, the department targets to deliver 5 000 housing opportunities for Military Veterans.
The Human Settlements Department will on 16 and 17 October 2014 host a Human Settlements Summit on Special Development. Deputy Minister Kota-Fredericks said the resolutions from the municipality summit will assist the department in that summit. – SAnews.gov.za
