The Minister of Human Settlements Lindiwe Sisulu briefed the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements on South Africa’s participation at the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) which ended with the adoption of the New Urban Agenda.
Habitat III is hosted by the United Nations every 20 years to secure a renewed global commitment to addressing housing and sustainable urbanisation through the adoption of a forward-looking, action orientated outcome agreement expected to be implemented by all member states including the Republic of South Africa.
Minister Sisulu was responding to a request from the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements that wanted a briefing on the New Urban Agenda adopted at the Habitat Conference which took place in Quito, Ecuado last month, October.
As part of implementing the New Urban Agenda, South Africa will over the next few years be expected to amongst others, ensure that transformation is realised. The transformative commitments include sustainable urban development for social inclusion and ending poverty, sustainable and inclusive urban prosperity and opportunities for all and environmentally sound and resilient urban development.
“We are very much committed to integrating our communities, the basis is laid in our policy and evident in the work we do. It might take time but we are on track and the results which include COSMO City and Cornubia are there for everyone to see that integration is central in our work,” said Minister Sisulu.
Minister Sisulu added that her Department continues its work towards to reducing economic inequalities. “We are transforming the economy through SMMEs development. For instance our intervention in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (NMBM) we have been paying our contractors within fourteen days.
Over the last few months we have been paying over R16 million to our NMBM contractors on a weekly basis” added Minister Sisulu.
Minister Sisulu also told Portfolio Committee members that 61% of South Africans now lived in urban areas. “We together with the entire Globe have a responsibility to respond to this phenomenon,” she said.
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