SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE DIRECTOR – GENERAL ON OCCASION OF HANDING-OVER OF HOUSING BY ABSA

24 October 2008

Programme Director

Executives and staff of ABSA

Executives and staff of Habitat for Humanity

Honoured guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Colleagues:

The Minister expressed her heartfelt apologies for not being able to be here today. She wanted to celebrate this momentous occasion with you - she sends her warmest regards. 

Ladies and gentlemen the reason we are here today is the recognition that housing is one of the basic human needs that have a profound impact on the health, welfare, social attitudes and economic productivity of an individual. It is also one of the best indicators of a person’s standard of living and of his or her place in society.  It is true that housing embodies many complex social, economical and cultural relationships - these relationships are influenced by the process of producing, allocating and exchanging dwellings as well as consumption of housing services. In all, housing is a unique and concrete expression of broader social arrangements that extends beyond the home.

It is for this reason that government made a committed to ensure that every South African Citizen has adequate shelter. Despite an impressive record in housing delivery our housing backlog is growing at an alarming rate. Clearly government cannot do it alone. In an attempt to broaden our housing delivery machinery - we have developed various subsidy instruments and reviewed our housing programmes. We hope this will give a positive impetus to housing provision.

A great nation is judged by how it provides for its poor and vulnerable citizens – the greatest manifestation of excess deprivation in our urban landscape is homelessness.  This phenomenon tends to present itself in various forms – it might be shacks and informal settlements of our country or favelas and shanty towns of Brazil or slums of Nairobi - what is undeniable is that the negative results these dwellings have in the lives of those who reside in them is unaffected by geographical space and distance. What brought us here today is the realisation that we cannot be able to build a better tomorrow if today we disregard poverty-stricken citizens of our country.

In 2005, government together with all stakeholders in housing - committed ourselves to a Social Compact for Rapid Housing Delivery. This is a statement that confirms our commitment to the improvement of the lives of the poor in line with the Comprehensive Plan for the Development of Sustainable Human Settlement, ‘Breaking New Ground’. It also provides a framework for partnership and resource mobilisation. Today we are reaping the fruits of the pledge we made – that of ensuring that we achieve a better life for all.

To the staff and management of ABSA - I appreciate all the effort you made in ensuring that these houses I built. I wish to extend my gratitude to all the partners you mobilised. I also heard that Habitat for Humanity was instrumental in the success of this process – I applaud you. Surely reading from the smiles in the eyes of these beneficiaries - your muscle aches and pain you experienced when building these houses were not in vain. Being instrumental in giving a house to someone is no small gesture. The effect this day will have on the beneficiaries of these homes is long lasting – for that I am certain. You have positively changed these people’s life trajectory – their children will now experience the security and comfort we all look forward to when we go home. I urge you to persevere for there are still millions of South Africans who still are in dire need of shelter and they need your help.

I rest in the comfort of knowing that we are in this together.  

I thank you