Deputy Minister Pam Tshwete: Human Settlements Dept Budget Vote 2022/23

Speech for Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, Honourable Pam Tshwete on the occasion of Budget Vote 33

Thank you Honourable House Chairperson
Ministers and Deputy Ministers Honourable Members Distinguished Guests
Chairpersons and CEOs of our entities Chairperson of the War Room
DG, DDGs and senior government officials Ladies and Gentlemen
Viewers on line

I greet you all this afternoon

Chairperson, today marks exactly 28 years to the day that our first democratic President, Mr Rholihlahla Nelson Mandela was inaugurated. We are again reminded of how far we have come as a country, and how much has been achieved to change the lives of the people for the better. We gave South Africans hope, we dare not fail them.

Honourable members, whilst the Covid-19 pandemic continues to exist in our country and the world at large, our sector is still feeling the effects through continuous shortages of material supply. These shortages have resulted in price hikes as dictated by the principle of supply and demand.

In August last year, we welcomed the vibrant, energetic and highly action orientated Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi to the department. The Minister came with vast experience as she is coming from five portfolios namely; Communications, Energy, Science and Technology, Tourism and as Acting Minister of Health. We are already encouraged by what we have achieved during this short space of time.

The empowerment of women and youth is one of the department’s critical areas. The country continues to battle high level of unemployment and patriarchal systems. The set asides

for women, youth and persons living with disabilities, is a way of ensuring that these groups are not left behind. I must say that we have been making some positive strides as the department in ensuring that the provinces and our entities take this seriously. We have done so by ensuring that the 2022/23 APP and Budget Plans have clear measurable targets.

As I said last year, NHBRC through its partnership with the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) enrolled and trained 120 Women Entrepreneurs. 107 completed the business development planning assessment in March 2022 and are currently undergoing a mentorship programme through GIBS. These Women have also had networking sessions with our Provincial Departments, the National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC)  and the Housing Development Agency (HDA), where presentations were done on construction related project opportunities and how to access funding.

Our country has a high number of destitute communities due to social ills. The department is inundated with requests to intervene in a number of destitute cases. We have urged the provinces to work closely with the municipalities and come up with consolidated lists per province. This will assist in ensuring that we have a holistic approach in prioritizing the cases.

We have started the process of roadshows in the provinces working with MECs and respective Executive Mayors. The main focus of the roadshows is to unlock challenges that hinder acceleration of housing service delivery for destitutes. Going forward we will be accelerating this programme to all provinces.

I am proud to announce that using this approach, a number of houses have been delivered across the country. Ours as the department is to ensure that no destitute is without a decent home. We have an obligation to protect the most vulnerable of our society and make sure they have a decent place they call home.

Yesterday whilst we were engaging with the community of Khayelitsha, we found an impression that everyone is expecting to receive a free house from Government. We want to make it clear that the provision on BNG houses is for the indigent and destitute (elderly, child headed homes, military veterans and people living with disabilities).

The housing of Military Veterans remains one of our key focus areas. We are committed to endeavour until we have provided security of tenure to all bona fide military veterans. The illegal occupations delay service delivery to legitimate beneficiaries.

Going forward, I would like to encourage collaborations with the Department of Social Development, so that at the time of the hand over, we don’t just give them a house but we take care of their basic needs.

Our country has been experiencing flood and fire disasters. Some of these can be attributed to climate change. As a country we need to embark on awareness campaigns with the hope of limiting impact of displacement and loss of lives.

The department has funding available to address disasters. We urge provinces and municipalities to fast-track the assessment of disasters, and submit applications so that funding can be released on time. This will avoid delays in providing support to the affected communities.

The Western Cape Province in particular is prone to fire disasters in informal settlements, especially during the winter season. We are working very closely as the three spheres of government to come up with long term interventions. For example, on 16 April, a fire broke out in Joe Slovo Informal Settlements in Langa, Cape Town. We intervened and came up with workable interventions. Let me not forget to acknowledge and  thank  the  Western  Cape  South  African  Women  in Construction for the donations and the NGOs for the aid to the affected community. Your work is always appreciated.

House Chairperson, we can confidently say that we follow up on our commitments, to check on progress made. While some have been met, others are still work in progress. We can proudly say that communities are happy with the interventions.

In the year under review, we have established a platform which includes the national and provincial departments and the NHBRC to address issues related to enrolments and quality. Going forward the NHBRC and provinces should work as one Human Settlements team in addressing all related matters. We want to underline that contractors must deliver on their contractual obligations and inferior work is not one of them. Those who are found to have cut corners will be liable to do the repairs at their own cost.

With regards to the participation of South Africa at the United Nations General Assembly, as South Africa we are proud that we consolidated our inputs with the NGOs and relevant stakeholders for the New Urban Agenda. I wish to thank the Minister for the opportunity to represent the country at the United Nations General Assembly to discuss the implementation of the New Urban Agenda.

The inputs for South Africa at the high-level meeting which took place on 28 April at the United Nations General Assembly include the following:

To continue strengthening collaboration and joint action by all of government and all of society to achieve spatial transformation and improved quality of life
To continue prioritising informal settlements upgrading and the provision of adequate and affordable housing as a key anchor for poverty alleviation and inclusion; and

To prioritise interventions that create work and opportunities for the youth, that include women in decision making, and that foster participation of people in vulnerable situations.

I am proud to announce that South Africa is recognised as doing well globally in the upgrading of Informal Settlements.

Masibambane ngezandla siqhube ngokunikezela ngeenkonzo zoluntu ngokufanelekiyo eMzantsi Afrika. Sithunyiwe, kwaye uluntu maluve ifuthe xa siqhubekeka sizama ukuphuhlisa intlalo yomphakathi.

Enkosi – Ndiyabulela – Baie Dankie – I thank you.

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