Gauteng MEC for Local Government and Housing Kgaogelo Lekgoro delivered the budget speech of the department highlighting important priorities of service delivery. “We continue to celebrate the successes we have made in the delivery of houses to our people. We celebrate these successes, fully aware that we still need to continue to invest more resources in our push to provide sustainable human settlements,” said MEC Lekgoro.
“We are happy to report that we have been able to build and complete 33654 houses in the previous financial year. These we have achieved through programmes like mixed income housing development, informal settlement upgrading and urban renewal programmes. We have also been able to service 12 812 stands through the formalization of informal settlements programme. This means we have created more than 42000 housing opportunities in Gauteng,” said MEC Lekgoro.
“To accelerate human settlement development we have already started a process of reviewing existing public land. We are doing institutional arrangements for acquisition, assembly and transfer of state land. We want to develop a comprehensive framework as a basis for facilitating its utilisation for low income housing. This is intended to fast-track availability and affordability of well appropriately located land for sustainable human settlements,” said MEC Lekgoro.
“We want to realise a functioning property markets across all economies. We want to create an enabling environment for agents and institutions to carry out work towards sustainable human settlement development. This speaks to all aspects of co-operating with the private sector and intervening in property markets including unblocking private sector finance for low and middle-income housing,” said Lekgoro.
“Our plan for the current financial year is to deliver 37780 housing opportunities. We also want to deliver 2140 units that will cater hostels and other affordable rental stock. We will also commence with the Sedibeng Sewer Master whose intention is to alleviate pressure on the current sewer infrastructure. We are currently unable to accelerate housing development in the Johannesburg South and the Sedibeng District Municipality areas. These include Sharpeville, Orangefarm, Sweetwaters, Palmsprings and other areas. We are working in close cooperation with the Joburg Metro and the Sedibeng District Municipality,” said MEC Lekgoro.
“We are continuing with the implementation of urban renewal programmes flagships like Alexandra, Bekkersdal and Evaton. The Gauteng Cabinet has recently approved the Winterveldt Urban Renewal Plan. Our urban renewal programmes will always have a range of high impact and high visibility projects including infrastructure and housing,” said MEC Lekgoro.
“The movement of people from the periphery of economic development to urban areas and cities is unstoppable. This is a worldwide phenomenon which has existed from time immemorial were people moved from their places of origin in search for survival. The inability or unpreparedness to plan for this eventuality will express itself through urban sprawl. The result of which is more informal settlements, inability of government to deliver basic services, urban crime and social disorder leading to social upheaval,” said MEC Lekgoro.
“We are committed to formalising all informal settlements by 2014. We will achieve this through finding mechanisms to stop the immergence of new informal settlements in Gauteng. In 2005 we had 405 informal settlements which have shot up to 485 presently. This is mainly as a result of organised groups forcefully invading and occupying empty land. In an effort to meet the 2014 target we have submitted a plan to Executive Council (Gauteng Cabinet) that outlines our intentions to formalise and service those we can and relocate those who occupy inhabitable land. We will also work closely with municipalities to ensure we take collective responsibility in stopping the illegal invasion of land,” said MEC Lekgoro.
“Through the prioritised township programme in cooperation with sister departments, national, local government and business, we have implemented 500 projects. These projects include providing decent schools, clinics, sports facilities, parks, recreational facilities, street lighting, storm water drains, multipurpose community centres, libraries and taxi ranks. Executive Council (EXCO) has taken a decision that Tembisa should remain a flagship project under this programme were we will have high impact and visibility by 2014,” said MEC Lekgoro.
For more information please contact:
Fred Mokoko
Cell: 082 447 8407
Tel: 011 355 4013
E-mail: Fred.Mokoko@gauteng.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Local Government and Housing, Gauteng Provincial Government
25 May 2010
