Premier of the Eastern Cape, Noxolo Kiviet
MECs present
Mayor of Buffalo City
Community members
Ladies and gentlemen
We are happy to join the community of East London today to launch this innovative social housing programme, the Emerald Sky project. All human beings strive to obtain decent shelter in a decent community. That is why as government we are doing all we can to assist our people to obtain affordable and habitable shelter.
Today we are excited to launch this project in particular and generally our social housing human settlements concept. Through the social housing programme, government provides grant funding to private developers to build rental homes for low and middle income workers in an effort to prevent the spiralling of slum houses in the cities.
The Emerald Sky project is one of many that will be launched to provide affordable housing to people in need. The innovative housing project, consisting of 656 units, of which 350 are already occupied, is an important addition to our response to the need for accommodation.
Ladies and gentlemen, you will notice that the new style social housing projects that we are building are on well-located and landscaped land, with access to social amenities such as education, transport, recreational facilities and others. They ensure proximity to economic opportunities, transport and urban centres. They form part of government’s new human settlements concept.
We are truly proud of these new settlements and know that the occupants are delighted. The settlements also contribute to our social transformation programme of reversing apartheid spatial planning and to restore the human dignity and self-esteem of our people. These projects must indicate to all that we are now really doing things differently in delivering services to our people. Many will be launched around the country during the year.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are also pleased with this launch as we are building on a successful 16 year programme. Since 1994 government has built over 2,7 million homes for South Africans. In doing so, more than thirteen million people have been provided with adequate shelter. Ladies and gentlemen, we have planned well for these projects.
Government will spend close to R15 billion this year on housing. This is being done in part through the provision of housing grants, with homes being built in more than 8 000 human settlements projects across the country. We are also upgrading many of the 2 700 informal settlements which exist alongside almost every urban and peri-urban town, to address the squalid conditions of those living there.
In addition, government is making available a Guarantee Fund that will make it easier for working people to access a mortgage bond to build their own homes. It should eliminate many of the reasons given by financial institutions for not financing the development of affordable housing.
On 18 May I met with Premiers and MECs responsible for human settlements from all provinces, in a special President’s Coordinating Council meeting called especially to discuss human settlements. We are in agreement as the three spheres of government with regards to what needs to be done. Ladies and gentlemen, a key factor to the success of these projects is good management.
We have been informed by the Social Housing Company (SOHCO), which is driving this initiative in partnership with national, provincial and local governments, that they have a very successful payment rate at the end of each month. We trust that this situation will remain, and congratulate households and SOHCO on this successful partnership.
Ladies and gentlemen, part of reversing the apartheid legacy in housing and social planning nationally is to ensure the greening of our residential areas. We urge the youth all over the country to make it their responsibility to ensure that their homes look beautiful through planting trees or flowers and vegetable gardens where possible.
Apartheid social architects did not see the need for trees, flowers and parks in historically black areas. It is our responsibility to reverse that legacy and show that leafy suburbs can be created anywhere. Ladies and gentlemen, I am sure that you have enjoyed watching the Soccer World Cup in these beautiful homes.
Let me also take this opportunity to wish our national team Bafana Bafana well next week when they play against France in Bloemfontein. We must continue supporting the national team, the African teams and indeed the World Cup tournament in general as hosts. South Africans are already winners. We won on 15 May 2004 when the announcement was made, declaring us as the hosts.
The whole world is looking at us and applauding our success so far as hosts. And we have proven ourselves to be fantastic hosts. We congratulate each and every citizen for such patriotism and amazing energy. You are ensuring that this becomes a vibrant African World Cup. We are impressed by the massive attendance at soccer games and fan parks. You have proven us correct as we had told the world that we will deliver a spectacular event.
Congratulations on your new homes enjoy the rest of the World Cup and keep supporting Bafana Bafana and the whole tournament. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to declare the Emerald Sky project officially open.
I thank you.
Enquiries:
Vincent Magwenya
Cell: 072 715 0024
Source: The Presidency
