Innovation Hub, Tshwane
12 July 2007
Unveiling the plague to officially launch the Eric Molobi Housing Innovation
Hub, the Minister of Housing, Lindiwe Sisulu, said the hub must become a place
of enlightment, vision, creativity and a place where men and women of integrity
inspired by the spirit of Eric Molobi will seek to show a new way in housing
innovation.
Honoured by the presence of the Molobi family, the Minister also announced
that the Eric Molobi Housing Innovation Hub will host a Training and Testing
Centre to train historically disadvantaged homebuilders, a conference hall for
training, seminars and other forums to empower people to understand that there
is a world without bricks and mortar.
"In our culture we name children or initiatives after those attributes we
most admire, the innovation hub will have to live by very high standards, Mr
Molobi was a servant of the people, after leading many innovations that
radically change the lives of South African's he remained extraordinary humble
and modest," Sisulu said.
Eric Molobi lived a life of service, immediately after his release from
Robben Island he led the Kagiso Trust he also founded the Kagiso Trust
Investment which operated as a social investor in the Kagiso Trust. He also led
the National Housing Forum, as a result of his effort and commitment the
capital housing subsidy was introduced and became the founding basis for 2,4
million houses built since 1994. Inspiring students to follow in the innovative
and creative thinking of Eric Molobi the Minister announced that 17 students
have been granted bursaries by the National Home Builder Registration Council
(NHBRC) to further their studies in construction and other fields supporting
housing innovation and delivery.
Ten beneficiaries also received homes build by some of the material already
approved in the Eric Molobi Innovation Hub. Receiving the honour on behalf of
the Molobi family, daughter Naomi Ratsheko said of all the honours bestowed on
her father, renaming the innovation hub after him was more than humbling. "We
are more than happy that the innovation and creativity from these Eric Molobi
Housing Innovation Hub will continue our father's commitment and dedication to
free South African's of informal settlement and poverty, this is what our
father lived for."
The Eric Molobi Housing Innovation Hub is a partnership between the National
Home Registration Council, the National Housing Finance Corporation, ABSA and
the Department of Housing.
Enquiries:
Ndivhuwo Mabaya
Spokesperson, Housing Department
Cell: 083 645 7838
Issued by: Department of Housing
12 July 2007
Source: Department of Housing (http://www.housing.gov.za)
