KEY-NOTE ADDRESS BY HOUSING MINISTER, MRS BRIGITTE MABANDLA  AT THE LAUNCH AND HANDOVER OF PHASE ONE OF THE SANCO NOMZAMO PROJECT IN CAPE TOWN, WESTERN CAPE,

29 FEBRUARY 2004.

Master of Ceremony: Mr Kavi
MEC for Housing: Ms Hangana
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Housing, City of Cape Town: Councillor Samuels
Ward Councillor for Ward 87: Councillor Sotashe
The managing director of ASLA: Mr Laker
Beneficiaries Representative: Mr Mgidlana
Rev Kanuka
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen   

It is always exciting to visit communities as they take ownership of their new homes. Today as I visited Nomzamo and Lwandle and saw the excitement and pride of people who are receiving homes after living in difficult circumstances in informal settlements I am reminded of Comrade Joe Slovo, our first Housing Minister in the new dispensation. The then Housing Minister Joe Slovo said in one of his first speeches to parliament in October 1994

 “In years to come we need to be able to look around us and say that housing has indeed become the physical expression of a country which is healing itself. Of a country, to which each individual, is contributing according to his/her possibilities and a country which cares about its people and the communities in which they live.”

Today the people of Nomzamo, Lwandle and Stander Farm join in to bear testimony to Comrade Joe Slovos words as you too participate in the development of this community and our country. 

We, as government are aware of the many challenges facing our communities and appreciate the partnerships that exist to confront the challenges and built more sustainable communities.

Today I saw … I saw that together, the Government and communities, we conquered the challenge that existed when we came to power. I saw over 100 houses both in Nomzamo and Lwandle that have been built and completed for the people and today, today I know that we have conquered the challenge by officially handing over and delivering a total of  275  homes to you and with another 5 445 to follow in the next three years. But this only came about after an extended period of time punctuated with various problems, amongst others a shortage of funds, the buying of additional land and obtaining of the final approval of the project. 

These Communities can now all be very proud of this remarkable achievement here in the Western Cape Province.  As you know before this Government came to power, the people of these informal settlements could hardly say that the area they inhabited, lived up to and could be associated with the concept of beauty, which is usually associated with the Cape Province not only nationally, but also internationally. The area was not known for its beauty and splendour, but that it was situated on the so- called “dark side” along the N2.

We know, and can today see, how proud the members of this community who have received houses today are… just look around you. Those ones with the broadest smiles are the ones who received their houses today! And in due time, with the completion of the other phases of the project over the next two years, these smiles will be multiplied!

The other’s smiling even broader are my colleagues from provincial and local government who have made this wonderful opportunity possible. Moreover, I am especially elated that this is the second time in seven days that I am handing over completed houses to the poorest of the poor after having been called upon to do so in the greater Madibeng Local Municipality, formerly known as Brits in the North West Province, last Monday.

This is proof of the Governments commitment to meet our demanding housing responsibilities and we endeavour to maintain our responsibilities towards the needy and enhance our delivery in the next decade as we did in South Africa’s first 10 years of democracy.

The reasons for combining the Sanco Nomzamo, Lwandle and Stander Farm areas into one project was due to the enormous shortage of housing in the Helderberg area which necessitated the extension of the original Sanco Nomzamo project to include the adjoining properties so as to provide a total of 5 646 units.

Another very important reason was the construction on the re-alignment of the N2 National Road between Somerset West Mall and Sir Lowry’s Pass which is  to commence early 2005. The Department of Transport requested the Department of Housing to re-locate the informal settlements that had taken occupation of large sections of the re-aligned road reserve. The expected rate of delivery will be approximately 9 houses per day in order to clear the future N2 National road reserve of informal settlements in time for construction to be commenced in 2005.

A substantial part of the adjoining properties (Lwandle and Stander Farm) are occupied by informal dwellings. Beneficiaries will have to be relocated before services can be fully installed.  The community has requested that the developer submit a People’s Housing Process application for the construction of top structures. The Board must still approve the details of the top structures still to be provided.

Because this is a PHP project all beneficiaries will receive a 36 square meter house FREE of charge. All the houses will be plastered externally and will be provided with ceilings and insulation between the ceilings and the roof sheets to combat mould growth and condensation, which is so prevalent in the Southern Cape Coastal Condensation Area.

The value of this housing project amounts to approximately R170, 5 million, based on the 2003/2004-subsidy level. The project will be developed in phases, started in the 2003/2004 financial year and to be completed in the 2006/2007 financial year.

The project will be undertaken by ASLA, a leading local construction company well known in this area. Due to the recent changes in policy, that place municipalities at the centre of development, the developer of this specific project is the Theewaterskloof Municipality. Although the ideal would be to construct these houses by means of the PHP (People’s Housing Process - where the people of the communities build these houses themselves), this by nature is very slow because people who have never built a house in their lives before now have to do so. Their average performance is about 200 houses per year.

But when big contractors like ASLA are included to assist the PHP the results show that they can build 300 houses per month. And because the Department of Housing wants to expedite housing delivery due to the housing backlog, we need construction companies like ASLA to assist us. I, however, want to plead with big construction companies like ASLA again today to involve emerging builders as a way of complying with Black Economic Empowerment Principles. The Department of Housing feels strongly about the transfer of knowledge and skills to our previously disadvantage communities, as well as the smaller construction companies across the board.

Lastly, but very important and close to my heart: Housing is much more than giving shelter to the needy. It goes much further than the supply of running water, sanitation and electricity. The streets are tarred, the prepaid electricity meters have been installed and street lights are operational. And to the communities of these areas, as they have been the victims of disastrous fire outbreaks I am sure that this will add immense security, peace of mind and  meaning to their lives.

As each one of you takes ownership of your homes today I hope that the pride you have today continues to grow so that you responsibility for this homes and develop it further so that the community might be proud of you and one day your children might be proud of the effort, work and commitment you have put in to make your home a valuable asset.

I wish you well in your new homes and thank you for this opportunity.