In an effort to eradicate informal settlements in the province, Premier Noxolo Kiviet and MEC of Human Settlements, Helen Sauls-August will handover houses built under the Informal Settlements Upgrading Programme in Mayfield, Grahamstown on Friday, 27 September 2013.
The project has 175 units completed, while 397 units are at various stages of construction with a budget of R103 million.
The Mayfield Housing Project was identified as a project under the Breaking New Ground strategy, which entails a Comprehensive Plan for the Development of Sustainable Human Settlements, approved by Cabinet in September 2004, it requires all three spheres of government to collaborate to ensure the development of sustainable human settlements that provide residents with a safe environment with adequate access to economic opportunities, basic services, transport, education, health and community facilities.
The programme (Informal Settlements Upgrading Programme) provides benefits of access to land, basic municipal engineering services, social amenities and services for all the inhabitants of informal settlements.
South African Government 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 handover forms part of the Provincial Exco Outreach Programme in Cacadu which runs from 25-27 September 2013.
The handover will take place as follows:
Date: 27 September 2013
Venue: Mayfield, Grahamstown
Time: 9h00
Enquiries:
Lwandile Sicwetsha(Mr).
Director: Corporate Communications
Tel: 043 711 9679
Cell: 071 671 1770
E-mail: lwandiles@ecdhs.gov.za
