Minister Nomaindiya Mfeketho: Land handover in Rustenburg

Minister of Human Settlements, Ms Nomaindiya Mfeketho, MP Remarks on the occasion of the land handover event, Rustenburg

Programme Director, Ms Lerato Mbele
Minister of Minerals Resources, Min Gwede Mantashe
Minister of Agriculture, Min Senzeni Zokwane
Deputy Minister of Human Settlements – Ms Zou Kota
The Premier of North West, Prof Job Mokgoro 
The Executive Mayor of Rusternburg Local Municipality, Cllr Mpho Khunou
The Chief Executive Officer of Anglo American Platinum, Mr. Chris Griffith  
MEC of Human Settlements and Other Government Representatives
Distinguished guests and officials
Ladies and gentlemen
All Protocols Observed

I am delighted with the opportunity to address you at this ground-breaking event.  This is the beginning of a new sustained partnership that will define the shape of economic recovery and Human Settlements in mining towns. We all know the painful history of the pre-1994 era where our people have endured inhumane conditions in townships and labour reserves to support the Apartheid Economy. The struggle for democracy was also a struggle for Human Rights – which we recognize in this month.  Central to the struggle for human rights is the – right to decent housing that is protected in our Constitution.

Despite the economic and fiscal challenges we faced - our Government has provided over three and half million homes for poor and vulnerable families during the past twenty five years. South Africa continues to be one of the few countries in the world that provides free housing to poor and vulnerable communities. It is these values that define us as a “caring government”.  

We acknowledge the need to do more as the dream of providing “housing, security and comfort to all” continues to challenge us. To address this challenge – indeed the challenge of Growing South Africa – we  need  more  than  just  pay  lip-service  to  partnerships  but  we  need genuine commitments to “long-term sustainable partnerships”.  We need to walk this long and mountainous road together as government, business and civil society – hand in hand tackling the obstacles jointly.

Of much concern, South Africa’s cities still reflect the legacy of apartheid spatial planning with a geography that casts the poorest communities to the periphery far from services and employment. Further, lack of adequate public transport and infrastructure, increases the cost of living for the poor particularly people seeking jobs. This pattern has been exacerbated by increased urbanisation and low economic growth – but more importantly it symbolises the lack of commitment by all sectors of our society to foster “inclusive growth and shared prosperity”.

This is the sad reality. The burden of this spatial pattern of our towns and cities, falls disproportionately on the poor thus making it difficult for the most vulnerable people to break out of poverty and increasing inequality.  This trend is not sustainable. We need to turn this around – together as South Africans and as social partners. We need  an  inclusive economy that  is  sustainable and  can  participate as equals in the world in the fourth generation of economic development. We require these partnerships now – to develop a long term sustainable economy.

This partnership responds directly to the President Ramaphosa’s call to work together to Grow South Africa.  Companies such as Anglo-American and others are beginning to join hands with Government in contributing towards resolving the human settlements challenges.   We trust that this much-appreciated donation of land is the beginning of a sustained partnership.

It is critical for business to recognise that housing forms part of a core package of social goods or wages, which enable better livelihood for the poor  with  housing  as  a  key  asset.  Indeed  such  investment  is  good business.  You will hear from my colleague, that mining will still be an integral part of the South African economy.

The recent initiatives led by the President and by my colleague the Minister of Minerals Resources, are designed to increase investment in this sector.  The expected increase in much needed investment, will certainly be accompanied by an increase in inward migration.  Together with the private sector we need to recognise this reality and jointly plan and invest in housing and social infrastructure to create sustainable communities. Again this is good business practices.

Given this excellent start by Anglo (and others) in developing new meaningful partnerships our appeal is that:

• we commit as partners to jointly invest in developing this land for decent housing with social facilities that will benefit the mineworkers and communities; and
• we commit to a social compact that will meet the social and economic needs sustainably in the long term.

To support these initiatives that Department of Human Settlements has committed one billion rands over the next three years to finance the development of human settlements in mining towns.   These funds will target five mining districts;

• District Municipality of Joan Taolo Gaetsewe
• Waterberg District in Limpopo.
• Bojanala District Municipality
• Gauteng West Rand District
• OR Tambo District