By Gabi Khumalo
Johannesburg – Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has signed a social contract with various stakeholders for the development of sustainable housing and improved quality of household life.
The agreement was signed on Friday during the last day of the National Human Settlements Indaba and Exhibition, held in Sandton.
The signatories committed to work with the Department of Human Settlements to create enabling conditions for the co-production of integrated and sustainable human settlements.
More than 80 signatories committed to provide descent houses within liveable human settlements. They also undertook to work together to deliver 1.5 million housing opportunities, including 110 000 affordable housing opportunities for the gap market, in the next five years.
They further committed to deliver 70 000 affordable rental opportunities and install basic services and infrastructure in 2 000 informal settlements, while laying a foundation that will ensure that by 2030, all South Africans live in decent housing.
They undertook to eradicate the backlog of title deeds for pre- and post-1994 housing stock.
During the signing ceremony, the national, provincial and local spheres of government individually committed their organisations to ensure that appropriate infrastructure and sustainable service levels are given to all citizens.
The ceremony followed the first social contract signed in 2005 during the same summit, which saw the creation of more than 1.2 million housing units in five years. This translated into 240 000 units built in a year, 20 000 units a month and 660 units per day.
Minister Sisulu said the challenge now is to outdo that and do it without having the many glitches experienced then.
Restoration of human dignity
She reminded the stakeholders that the pledges are about the restoration of human dignity and provision of equal opportunities for all.
“We cannot be what we ought to be as people, until we have satisfied the most basic of our needs. You have showed that you are at one about what it is that is the core of descent human existence,” said Minister Sisulu. – SAnews.gov.za
