The Director-General (DG) of Human Settlements, Itumeleng Kotsoane, has welcomed the judgement of the Constitutional Court that allows government to temporarily relocate residents of the Joe Slovo Informal Settlements to Delft in order to prepare the land for development of integrated human settlements.
In welcoming the judgement, the DG said “this ground breaking judgement allows government to plan better and to fast track the building of integrated human settlements across the country and to work in an organised manner towards the achievement of a South Africa free of slums and informal settlements.”
The DG added that the judgement is an endorsement of the government housing policy and allows all three spheres of government across the country to plan better and to also work closely with communities in implementing human settlement plans.
In its judgement, the Constitutional Court endorsed the government housing policy and agrees that “in seeking the relocation of the applicants, the respondents (Government) have complied with their obligations to act reasonably in seeking to promote the right of access to adequate housing contained in Section 26 of the constitution.”
The DG concluded that the Housing Development Agency and government officials will now have to work closely with the communities to ensure that their temporary relocation area has all basic amenities.
“As government we must ensure that clinics and crèches are there, children must go to school, and disruptions to people’s lives are minimised,” he said.
Enquiries:
Ndivhuwo Mabaya
Cell: 083 645 7838
Issued by: Department of Human Settlements
10 June 2009
Source: Department of Human Settlements (http://www.housing.gov.za)
