The programme director, HOD, Ms Gabi Gumbi-Masilela
The Mayor of uMhlatuze Municipality, Cllr Mbatha Amakhosi present
Councillors present
Officials from local and provincial government
Residents of Brackenham and Aquadene
All others present and all protocol observed
In November last year, I met with Mayor Mnqayi, and officials of Mhlatuze Municipality to discuss the challenges in housing delivery so that together we could identify the problem areas and unblock them. I am pleased to announce that the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements has approved funding to the tune of R222,038,076 million for projects in the Umhlatuze Municipality. These include R8 million for the upgrade of the eSikhileni Hostel as well as funds for the Umhlatuze Phases five and seven projects and the Cwaka and Madlebe Rural housing projects. These projects will collectively house over 2 800 families.
One of the issues that we also discussed was the outstanding title deeds that are due to you. So today I am happy to be here with you to hand over your long-awaited title deeds.
President Jacob Zuma, in his State of the Nation Address said “while many South Africans celebrate the delivery of houses, electricity or water, there are yet many others who are still waiting. The legacy of decades of apartheid underdevelopment and colonial oppression cannot be undone in only 17 years. But we are forging ahead, determined to achieve our mission of building a better life for all”.
Today is a joyous occasion. There is no other sense of pride and achievement, than when a man or woman receives a title deed to his or her own home. Amongst our beneficiaries who will receive their title deeds today are Mrs VM Pekoba, Mrs PS Dunn and two of our senior citizens, Mrs P Peruman and Mrs M Moodley who are 84 years old and have been living here for 25 years. You have indeed waited long for this day. I am also aware that some home owners have received their title deeds already, but I wanted to be here with you today and officially hand over your title deeds.
This has been made possible through government’s Enhanced Extended Discount Benefit Scheme (EEDBS). Now let me tell you, more about this scheme.
With approved funding from the Department of Human Settlements, government housing stock has been transferred from the Municipality to beneficiaries in Brackenham and Aquadene Townships. The EEDBS allows for people who have rented their homes from the municipality for a number of years to take ownership of their houses. Some people have rented for over 30 years. This is not acceptable.
Government then takes into account the value of the house and subsidises a portion of the amount according to the income of the individual. This in effect makes it possible for the person who has living in that house to eventually become a home owner. Thus far we have transferred 1 263 houses in Brackenham and 287 in Aqaudene. There are still a few more houses waiting to be transferred. Outstanding applications are at various stages in terms of processing. Our staff are working hard to trace applicants who bought vacant pieces of land and who did not pay fully for the land and also those who did not finalise their sale agreements.
I also want to talk about the tribunal that will be set up for cases where there are disputes. This tribunal will be formed by representatives from the Municipality, from the Department of Human Settlements and members from the same community as you. This will ensure that this process addresses the concerns of the community. We intend to have the remaining balance of properties transferred by June 2011.
We have followed our President’s instruction to be a government that serves the people and that is with the people. We have come here having heeded our President’s call to provide speedy service delivery.
This African National Congress (ANC) – led government is a government of action committed to improving the lives of our people. As you all know our province is regularly beset by heavy storms. KwaZulu-Natal is the only province in the country to receive a grant for disaster housing. We received R133 million for the 2010/11 financial year, to repair or rebuild homes that were affected by disasters in the province. This money was used throughout the province and the entire amount has been used up.
We are now using our conditional grant allocation to provide disaster housing for the province. We have appointed five service providers who are at work as we speak repairing or re-building homes throughout the province that were affected by disasters. As a longer term measure we have advertised for service providers to apply to be put onto a provincial database that we can call on whenever there is a disaster in the province. This will enable us to move swiftly and will hopefully make the days or years of people sitting in tents for months or even years a thing of the past.
Two weeks ago the Premier and I hosted a meeting with contractors to discuss the issue of poor quality workmanship and issues that impede service delivery. We have houses where the walls are cracking, the roofs fall off and there are some homes which have been built without foundations.
Enough is enough, we will not tolerate a situation where unscrupulous contractors, corrupt government officials and some engineers pass houses for payment when they have not adhered to the specifications on the plans. To rectify these houses is going to cost government in the region of R1 billion rands. We have engaged the National Home Builders Registration Council to inspect all projects and to manage the rectification. Where we find that the contractors are at fault we will take the necessary action. These contractors will face deregistration and the professionals involved will be reported to the relevant professional councils.
Further to ensure that quality houses are built, no more than four contracts will be awarded per contract. In cases where we have large projects, these will be broken up and shared amongst a few contractors. This will be more manageable for the contractor and will ensure that quality standards are adhered to and work is spread out more fairly.
President Zuma said this is an administration of action, of delivery, of less talk and more work. We believe that we must be judged by our actions and that we must work with our people. So today as you receive your title deeds and become owners of your own homes, let us celebrate - let us celebrate government working with our people for our people.
Working together we can do more.
Thank you.
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Human Settlements
