Deputy Minister, Hon. Zou Kota-Fredericks (MP) Budget Vote 38
Chairperson
Minister Nomaindia Mfeketo
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements, Hon. Nocawe Mafu
MECs
Honourable Members of Parliament Director-General, Mbulelo Tshangana
Chairs and CEOs of human settlements institutions All honoured guests
Allow me to dedicate my speech to the following people: Rosalie Bloch, 84 and Aubrey Jackson, 96 who were found murdered at their home, she will be remembered for her dedication in the struggle, for a better life for all. As well as Brenda Libovitz, who was a member of NUSAS and a member of the United Women’s Organisation. May their souls rest in peace.
Chairperson, as we celebrate the 100 years of Tata Mandela and Mama Sisulu. The department will host the Youth Leadership Camp in partnership with Robben Island Museum and Children Fair in Paarl and in Qunu in the Eastern Cape.
This is an annual event of the department, started since 2014. Last year we had good participation of learners from Nelson Mandela School of Science and various schools in the Western Cape at Robben Island.
To honour Mama Sisulu, we shall do the following: we shall host women leadership indaba in Gauteng. Launch a book of women in human settlements and their contribution in the struggle.
Let me salute the women of SAWIC for leaving the comfort of their homes and camping in Sokhulumi Village for the last three years. Chairperson, the women recently completed the project of 500 housing units allocated to them. In this process they established 6 women, owned cooperatives. We handed over these homes with Gauteng MEC of Human Settlements Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Dikgang Uhuru Moiloa and Nkosi Mkhambi Mahlangu. SAWIC handed over 8 vehicles to the cooperatives at the end of the project.
This project won a Merit for the Best Rural Housing Project for National and Provincial Govan Mbeki Human Settlements Awards. This is one of the handholding Emerging Contractor Cooperative Development Project that should be scaled up in rural areas of all Provinces.
Chairperson, later this month, the Department will open 300 completed housing units. These are walk ups of the 1956 project allocated to SAWIC in Olivenhoutbosch and Orchards.
There are 19 Women Owned Construction Business Cooperatives and Olivenhoutbosch Business Forum Entities participating in this project.
In the course of this year, we will be visiting projects allocated to women on the issue of the 30% allocation quota within the Human Settlements value chain. Last year in August, during the women’s build, we visited one of the women owned projects in Mpendle.
I was accompanied by MEC Ravi Pillay and the local municipality Mayor Cllr. Ndlela. At least 1 500 units are being built, phase 2, 3, and 4 respectively. The youth are capacitated through the EPWP incentive grant.
The positive thing that has ever happened in this department is the establishment of the CFO Forum. The establishment of this forum means that women and youth economic empowerment remains one of the Key Performance Areas of CFO’s. Especially now that 30% is in DORA.
The NHBRC has continued with its programme of transformation charter as well as the programme of training women contractors in partnership with the GIBS institute. We thank NHBRC for this wonderful work.
Women are also increasingly showing boldness and interest in other areas of the human settlements value chain. They are beginning to diversify. They are suppliers of building material, they go for green buildings, management to mention just a few.
Let me also congratulate TEMI and Ramkol for winning best youth owned Construction Projects in the youth category. The former won as an established contractor and the latter as an emerging contractor at the Govan Mbeki Awards.
Let me also applaud and encourage North West for being the first province to allocate 1976 housing units to youth owned construction companies in each region of the province.
Allow me to take this opportunity to thank Broll Property Group for rebuilding the house of Mme Nomahlubi Mbulu. A lady that had two autistic children and their house was dilapidated and was falling over her. We handed the house to her in December. It was good to see her in jubilation moment.
Broll has a signed MOU with the EAAB to train our Youth Brigades on Real Estate and Facility Management
The Department, NHBRC, HDA and NURCHA is partnering with the private sector namely:- Yabasha, Tasol Solar Energy, Hydroform, Afri Youth in Construction, Broll and others. These companies will provide job placements.
Chairperson, I worked with Deputy Minister Godfrey Oliphant on the Heuningvlei on distressed mining town in Northern Cape. This was a joint operation between the Department of Mineral Resources and the Department of Human Settlements. HDA – Housing Development Agency was asked to be an implementing agent.
The money came from Gencko and Kgosi Bareki was very excited about the development.
Joe Morolong Local Municipality’s Mayor was there during the hand over. The houses are very big, above 80 sq, 22 houses in total.
Last year we held a World Cities Day with the City of EThekwini. There were lots of Mayors from the African continent, SALGA delegation and the Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr. Andries Nel.
Chairperson, the New Urban Agenda is the most recent major global agreement to be adopted with the framework of the post 2015 development agenda. While portraying a compositive orientation, it has also a focused emphasis on promoting a new way of managing and steering urban and human settlements development.
Our delegation to Malaysia was led by myself, Deputy Minister Andries Nel and the Director-General Mbulelo Tshangana. I want to thank all South Africans who were team South Africa in WUF 9, in particular communications. World Urban Forum met in Kuala Lumpur, in February 2018. This meeting was to find a holistic approach to implementing the New Urban Agenda. UN Habitat and the AU-STC 8 helped with the implementation plan. In South Africa we have made the IUDF our implementation platform for the New Urban Agenda.
I thank you.
