The MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Mr Soviet Lekganyane lambasted the private sector for an apparent lack of sufficient effort in building houses for the needy. Delivering the keynote address at the official launch of the Each One Settle One Campaign on Monday, Lekganyane said the sector hasn’t made significant effort to house people.
He called on business and non-government organisations, among others, to help decreasing the housing backlog in the province. The province currently has more than 176 000 people that need housing and Lekganyane urged every organisation including churches to come on board to curb it.
“Government has delivered three million housing units since 1994, yet housing shortage is still a major challenge because government has very limited resources and these resources cannot reduce the current housing backlog. This is why our overall approach to the housing challenge is aimed at mobilising and harnessing the combined resources, efforts and initiative communities, the private and commercial sector and the state”, Lekganyane said.
He said the department has established a separate account to receive financial donations towards the initiative.
