Eastern Cape MEC for Human Settlements, Helen Sauls-August has called for service delivery partnerships to break the cycle of poverty in the Province.
Last week the Statistic SA released a report on Poverty trends and Levels in South Africa and the Eastern Cape. The report shows that a bigger population in the province is living in poverty.
“This should spur both government, private sector into action that would turn the tide against the increasing levels of poverty. The poverty levels have a direct link and bearing on our human settlements development programmes, so as the department we need to take note and come up with strategies that will alleviate the desperate situation,” she urged.
She said the department of Human Settlements was more than just construction of housing units. “It has a bigger responsibility of ensuring that its programme must also respond to the triple challenge of inequality, poverty and unemployment. This is why the department seeks service delivery partnerships to address and provide basic necessities for the family we build houses for. There is an immediate need to combine efforts to help in the most distressing situations using Human Settlements Delivery as a vehicle for social transformation, “she said.
Human Settlements Development Projects built in both rural and urban areas have been able to change the living conditions for thousands of underprivileged people in the Province, but the report released last week indicate that more work needed to be done to turn the tide against increasing poverty levels in the Province.
She said Service Delivery Partnerships are a basis of our commitment to fight poverty, unemployment and inequalities in our communities, but her department needed other role players to come on board.
In 2011, the department established a special directorate to handle and FastTrack housing needs for the destitute people in the province. Through this programme, the department has had partnerships with the Departments of Safety& Liaison, Department of Agriculture & Agrarian Reform and Social Development which has helped many families living below the poverty line.
Enquiries:
Lwandile Sicwetsha( Mr)
Tel: 043 711 9679
E-mai: lwandiles@ecdhs.gov.za
