In an effort to eradicate informal settlements and backyard dwelling in the province through informal settlements upgrading programme, MEC for Human Settlements, Safety and liaison Helen Sauls-August will hand over houses to 457 families built through the informal Settlements Upgrading Project in Siyanda New Rest, Butterworth on Thursday, 12 December 2013.
The Programme eradicates or upgrades informal settlements by building new homes which benefit households and individuals residing in informal Settlements, backyard dwellings handed over with access to basic services such water and sanitation and electricity. The department through the informal settlements Upgrading Programme has reduced the housing backlog in the province from 750 854 in 2001 to 606 616 in 2011. According to Census 2011 report, 7.7% of people in Eastern Cape live in informal settlements,(v.s. South Africa: 13, 6%) a reduction from 11,5% in 2007).
Other Informal Settlements Upgrading Projects in the province include Barkley East, Ngangelizwe, Motherwell, Zanemvula, Chetty, Thornhill, Camdeboo, Mayfield, Siyanda and Elliotdale which has built thousands of new homes for shack dwellers in the province.
The Government of the Republic of South Africa is party to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, which provide for the significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020.
In addition to these conventions, South Africa adheres to the following declarations under the UN Habitat programme: the Vancouver Declaration on Human Settlements (1976), the Istanbul Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements (1996) and the Habitat Agenda (1996), the focus of which is to address the plight of persons without adequate Housing. The Upgrading of Informal Settlements Programme is consistent with the above conventions with its primary objective being to cater for the special Development requirements of informal settlements.
The media is invited to capture the handover to be held as follows:
Date: 12 December 2013
Venue: Siyanda, New Rest Butterworth
Time: To be confirmed.
Enquiries:
Lwandile Sicwetsha
Spokesperson
Cell: 071 671 1770
Tel : 043 711 9679
