Post-MinMEC briefing by Minister of Human Settlements Tokyo Sexwale, Sandton

On being asked by President Zuma to serve in his Cabinet, one of the key tasks he identified was the successful reorganisation of the newly designated and broadened Ministry, the Ministry of Human Settlements, formerly the Housing Ministry.

To fulfil this mandate, it was important to meet with my MinMEC today, in advance of the three-day Cabinet Lekgotla which starts tomorrow.

Together, we are expected to make a positive and strategic input into the Lekgotla. But we can only do so if we have a common understanding of what we mean when we talk about human settlements. That was one of the key issues we reflected upon today.

In addition, as the political leadership of national and provincial government, we have begun to discuss the major tasks ahead, and to agree on how we will address them.

We take our cue from what the President has stated, based on the manifesto of the ruling party - in particular to wage and win the war on poverty.

As one of the key delivery departments in government, we have to address the needs of the poorest of the poor. We can only do this by building a more integrated approach to service delivery in existing and future human settlements.

We do so against the backdrop of a global economic downturn which puts the poor, in particular, at risk. Many developing countries will remain in a form of economic intensive care unit long after developed countries have started on the road to recovery. The World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have warned against a human catastrophe if the needs of the poor are not addressed, and we must never lose sight of that.

When we talk about creating human settlements, and refer in broader terms about waging war on poverty, then that ought to be the case. Were a spear to be the weapon used by government, then we should see the Ministry of Human Settlements as the sharp tip of that spear.

In a manner of speaking, this MinMEC can be described as a war council in the war on poverty.

Our approach is clear. Having spent the last 10 years building wealth through partnerships with major companies and with rich families, it is now time to accompany the poor. Having been in the company of rich families for some time, it is now time to be more familiar with the poor.

We take our lead from the fact that this portfolio has been reorganised and renamed as the Ministry of Human Settlements.

We are no longer just focused on providing houses – we are focused on creating human settlements. We are focused on how best to settle our people, for if they remain unsettled we ourselves may not know peace. As one Afrikaner industrialist put it: "If your neighbour is hungry, you cannot sleep."

This concept of "Human Settlements" may be a new one for many South Africans, but it has been part of the global developmental lexicon for many years now. It was first coined at the United Nations' Global Habitat Summit in Vancouver, Canada, in 1976. It gained ground at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, at the Sandton Convention Centre, in 2002. And it informed the adoption of several resolutions on human settlements and housing at the 52nd national conference of the African National Congress (ANC) in Polokwane in 2007.

Put bluntly, our task is to plan and build human settlements in a way which is integrated, co-ordinated and holistic. The settlements we should be creating must be centres where people can play, stay and pray. Places where people will live, learn and have leisure.

This means we must holistically develop communities by addressing their needs, whether it is education, health, culture, welfare, recreation or nutrition.

We shall work closely with our Cabinet colleagues, and particularly closely with those in economic policy, planning and implementation.

We shall also work closely with the communities themselves, as well as with contractors, regulators, local government and traditional leaders.

Society at large will also be involved. Poverty cannot be fought by a few people in government alone.

The outcomes of our discussions today will be taken to the Cabinet Lekgotla tomorrow and, after the Lekgotla, will inform the President's State of the Nation address, as well as those of the Premiers.

MinMEC is going to meet again to shape our future strategy and we then move to the provinces to see where work is being done or not done and see what can be done to speed up the pace of the war against poverty.

Along the way, we shall find ways sought to mobilise other resources. Future meetings are going to be held in this building, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), to discuss with business how they can be our allies in this war we are waging.

Individuals in business and other sectors are also going to be approached to see how they can help, particularly by building homes for other South Africans who are not so fortunate. I have already raised this possibility with some people and have been pleasantly surprised at the response.

We are also going to be meeting with the leadership of the financial sector, to see what can be done to create new forms of finance and to increase access to finance for the unbanked.

There is much to be done. We do not underestimate the complexity of the task, or the volume of work that is to be done. We have put our shoulders to the wheel and have made our commitment clear.

Because this is a war that we cannot, as South Africans, afford to lose.

For Enquiries:
Chris Vick
Cell: 083 556 7644

Ndivhuwo Mabaya
Cell: 083 654 7838

Issued by: Department of Human Settlements
25 May 2009
Source: Department of Human Settlements (http://www.housing.gov.za)

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