Human Settlements Minister, Connie September will deliver a paper at the SADC Minister’s meeting called "African Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development” (AMCHUD) in Lusaka, Zambia.

The SADC Ministers are hosting a thought provoking and constructive deliberation on human settlements and housing matters in preparation for the upcoming CHAD meeting to be held on 26-28 February 2014. This comes against the backdrop of significant urban growth in Africa where housing financial markets continue to thrive, however these markets serve the high income earners, leaving out the majority of the people the poor.

"In general, we have challenging income levels in Africa, and this has an impact on choices available to the poor in this growing market. Hence Habitat’s agenda calls for innovations in the regulatory and legal framework to enable markets to work and overcome market failure for the poor by coming up with unique ways in dealing with housing finance”, said Minister September.

Under the theme: "Case Studies in Financing Human Settlements in Africa: Appropriate Legislative Frameworks and Innovations in Implementation”, Minister September is expected to share with her African counter-parts, the experiences of the South African Government with regards to financing housing thus far, since the 1994 general elections, reflecting on both the successes and challenges.

"As we reflect on the twenty years of freedom and democracy in South Africa, we are taking stock of our achievements in providing shelter and access to basic services, as well as the remaining challenges particularly in overcoming spatial fragmentation, inequality, poverty and providing social and economic redress.

The governments and people of Africa, and indeed developing countries across the world, have some success stories on resourcing human settlements and some of which are expected to support our efforts to improve the lives of all South Africans.” says Minister September.

Participants in this conference consist of Ministers, Permanent Secretaries Group, Mayors/ Town Clerks Group and Technical Experts Group. All participants will deliberate and take implementable resolutions on areas like -Financing Human Settlements, Appropriate Legislative Frameworks and Innovations in Implementation.

Issued by the Ministry of Human Settlements. For more information please contact: Vusi Tshose: 0835815265