CAPE TOWN - “Government needs to improve its planning and the three spheres of government need to work closely together in order to service the communities they are responsible for. This will help in curbing such disasters that we see here today.”

This was said today by Human Settlements Minister Nomaindiya Mfeketo on her visit to Khayelitsha following the recent devastating fires. The minister said people cannot be given plans forever or only when disasters happen.

“We allocate funds from the national government and it is a shame when these go back to the fiscus unused. We as government need to step up and serve our people,” said Mfeketo.

She urged communities to be their own activists and hold government to account for service delivery in general.

Communities were also encouraged to become active participants in the developmental activities of their communities. “This will force politicians to stop playing games and deal with the real problems faced by people,” said the human settlements minister.

Addressing the Khayelitsha community, she acknowledged that the building kits given to victims of the fire will only provide temporary solutions.

The provincial human settlement has also identified land for decanting people while real building happens.

The identified land is only less than a kilometre from the current informal settlement and will keep people within their social networks.

The national Department of Human Settlements together with province and municipality agreed that services and bulk infrastructure should be prioritised so as to avoid such fires from happening again.


The minister requested that both the province and municipality should enhance their planning abilities in order to find lasting solutions for all the informal settlements in the Western Cape. This will eliminate unfortunate disasters that occurred in Khayelitsha, Kosovo, Hout Bay and other areas.

Minister Mfeketo gave an undertaking that she will personally monitor the implementation of the work the province and municipality have promised to the communities of Khayelitsha; Kosovo and Hout Bay.



ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS



For more information please call Mandulo Maphumulo at 079 699 5145