Pietermaritzburg - Government has set itself a target of six million houses and housing opportunities by 2019.
President Jacob Zuma made the declaration on Thursday during a visit to the Vulindlela Rural Enhanced People's Housing Process (EPHP) in Taylors Halt, just outside Pietermaritzburg.
President Zuma said government has already built more than 4.3 million houses since 1994.
“We delivered 4.3 million houses and decent accommodation to our people since 1994. This has benefited about 20 million people.”
He said the current administration will continue working hard to bring about change in communities, including rural communities.
“We will continue to build houses that are beautiful, which have water and electricity.”
He encouraged those who have not received homes yet to remain patient.
The Vulindlela EPHP aims to deliver 25 000 better human settlements to the value of R2.1 billion. The project is based on community contribution, partnerships and leveraging of additional resources.
About 13 community owned co-operatives have been established thus far by the project. The co-operatives own a quarry on site, transport operations, concrete block-making facilities, door-making and other construction-related firms.
On the quarry site, the concrete block-making facility alone produces about 6 000 blocks a day, which are South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) approved.
About 2 000 full-time employment opportunities have been created through the project, which also offers skills transfer during the construction programme.
"What we see here today is a community that has become what we have wanted. They have taken this mega project and made it their own. You are doing good work and you must continue to do so. You wanted houses built in a [certain way] and we as government obliged,” said President Zuma.
KwaZulu-Natal Human Settlements MEC Ravi Pillay told SAnews it was the biggest practical project in the province.
“This is a flagship mega project, which was made possible by maximum cooperation, coordination and the working together of government, Amakhosi, and the community,” Pillay said.
He said the project is unique in that it has targeted to build 25 000 houses.
“Already we have completed 12 300 houses and a further 3 700 are already in construction phase. It is also unique in the method used in the construction, which [uses] co-operatives as well as nursing small businesses in the community.”
Pillay said ordinary people have become skilled in manufacturing their own building blocks, doors and windows.
"When developments are at their maximum, about 2 000 people get employed and about R6 million in wages stays in this community. This is very empowering and impactful,” he said.
Government, Pillay said, is already thinking of ways to sustain developmental skills and capacity, as well as to keep the community economically active when the project ends in 2018.
Numerous people said the Vulindlela project has provided them with houses and jobs.
Zamokwakhe Ngcobo, 39, is amongst those who have received employment. Ngcobo told SAnews he is now able to send his kids to school and do his driver’s licence.
“The project has brought so much change in my life. I have a house now. I have a job, which allowed me to pay lobola and marry my wife. I am also able to send my kids to school and I have managed to do my driver’s licence. I feel like a real man among others because of this project.”
Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, who was part of the delegation, said the community is hard working and diligent.
“They are people who are proud to build their own houses and proud to take ownership of the work they do. This is the kind of culture we would like everybody in South Africa to adopt.”
She commended the community for taking steps to liberate themselves from poverty. – SAnews.gov.za
