Human Settlements Minister Connie September marked the World Habitat Day today by helping workers construct 272 housing units at Lakehaven Social Housing project in Durban.

Meanwhile, Human Settlements Deputy Minister Zou Kota-Fredericks was at Pelican Park in Cape Town building 14 houses as part of the private sector initiative to mark this day.

The two housing projects are part of many being rolled out across the country in a bid to accelerate delivery as we approach 20 years of democracy. These will add to the millions of houses already built so far.

World Habitat Day is set aside by the United Nations (UN) to reflect on the state of our towns and cities and the basic right of all to adequate shelter. It is celebrated on the first Monday of October every year.

Under the theme, Urban Mobility, this year’s celebrations seek to highlight issues of public transport and access to goods and services that are essential in the proper functioning of cities.

Accessible cities encourage a shift towards more sustainable modes of transportation and draw more and more travellers out of cars and onto trains, buses, bike paths, and pavements.

But mobility is about more than just the mode of transport we use.

"Urban planning and design should focus on how to bring people and places together by creating cities that focus on accessibility and optimal urban densities,” says Minister September.

This shift is clearly articulated in the Breaking New Ground Policy that emphasize issues of quality, integration and sustainability in the provision of not just houses, but human settlements.

"What this means is that as a Department must build human settlements that are closer to work opportunities so as to avoid people having to spend their hard earned salaries and wages on transport.

"That is why at Human Settlements we say: Where we live should be where we leisure, where we learn. Where we stay should be where we play, where we pray,” says Minister September.

Minister September was accompanied by KZN MEC for Human Settlements and Public Work, Ravi Pillay and EThekwini Mayor James Nxumalo.

We reiterate our response as guided by our law, the Rental Act, which regulates rental between tenants and landlords and it says:

"In advertising a dwelling for purposes of leasing it, or in negotiating a lease with a prospective tenant, or during the term of a lease, a landlord may not unfairly discriminate against such prospective tenant or tenants, or the members of such tenant’s household or the bona fide visitors of such tenant, on one or more grounds, including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, ethnic or social origin, colour, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth.”

Says Minister September: "I am happy to announce that I have fully agreed to offer our assistance, advice and support in rooting out discriminatory tendencies in the rental housing space.”

Government will continue to make use of the various pieces of legislation that are in place to guard against and protect citizens from any level of discrimination in the housing delivery chain and the Real Estate sector.

The Minister says government will resist any temptation that seeks to tolerate this practice twenty years into the country’s democracy.

"I have informed the MEC for human settlements in Free State who is entrusted with the responsibility to oversee the Rental Housing Tribunal establishment and practices within the provincial government and requested her to assist with the lodging of the complaint.”

Without pre-empting the outcome of the case, it is about time that government takes decisive steps to end practices of discrimination in rental housing. Without pre-empting the outcome of the case, it is about time that government takes decisive steps to end practices of discrimination in rental housing.

"We are calling on members of the public to exercise their democratic right by lodging complaints of any kind of discrimination in the Real Estate sector to the nearest provincial Rental Housing Tribunal as mentioned in the Act. Our Rental Housing Tribunals have achieved success throughout the country resolving many issues related to rental housing.

"The Rental Housing Tribunal services are free and they have a footprint in all provinces,” said September.

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

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

The Minister of Human Settlements, Connie September and representatives from the country’s major commercial banks led by Mr. Cas Coovadia, yesterday agreed to consolidate their efforts to ensure the delivery of sustainable human settlements, with a special focus on financing the affordable housing sector.

The meeting was part of strengthening the ongoing relationships between the banking sector and government that was started twenty years ago in the Democratic South Africa.

Minister September said: "Human Settlements is not just about houses. It includes a range of other issues that require the participation of all other stakeholders that have a role to play in the sector.”

The parties acknowledged their contributions, common objectives and agreed that a collaborative effort was required to implement the National Development Plan and address their shared challenges within the spatial development landscape.

"Over the next five years, the department plans to provide over a million housing opportunities to the poor, provide basic services to informal communities, and address the backlogs in sanitation. A critical objective of the department is to revitalise the housing market, and to crowd-in sizeable volumes of private capital to support the affordable housing market. The key question is – what else needs to be done to secure significant levels of capital to support this market,” said Minister September.

The parties have agreed to establish a working implementation team comprising both the public and the private sector, and to be expanded to include further relevant stakeholders, and will provide greater details as to their common programme within the next two weeks.

The meeting has identified areas of interest in realising the government’s goal of delivering one million housing opportunities in the next five years. These areas can be achieved through short, medium and long term collaborations. The parties will pay a particular focus in the area of affordable housing sector and this include: Existing government instruments like the Financed Linked Subsidy Programme (FLISP), Policy and Regulatory framework, the agreement on the modalities of the Mortgage Default Insurance (MDI); Rental Housing issues and land availability spatial development framework and environment in which human settlements operate.

The Minister confirmed that there would be additional dialogues with other organs of state for their participation, which was welcomed by the Banking Council.

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

The Minister of Human Settlements Ms Connie September together with the Chief Executive Officers of the country’s major banks will hold a meeting today in Sandton to discuss issues pertaining to housing. Members of the media are invited to a media conference that is scheduled to take place at:

Date: Monday, 3 February 2014
Time: 16:00
Venue: Citi Bank Offices, 145 West Street, Sandton, Serengeti Room, Ground Floor

This meeting is part of strengthening the ongoing relationships between the banking sector and government that was started by former minister – the late Mr. Joe Solvo – and continued by other ministers of Housing and Human Settlements.

"Over the next five years, the department plans to provide over a million housing opportunities to the poor, provide basic services to informal communities, and address the backlogs in sanitation. A critical objective of the department is to revitalise the housing market, and to "crowd-in” sizeable volumes of private capital to support the affordable housing market. The key question is – what else needs to be done to secure significant levels of capital to support this market?” said Minister Connie September.

Issued by the Department of Human Settlements, for more information, please contact: Vusi Tshose on 083 581 5265 . 

Human Settlements Minister Connie September and Deputy Minister Zoe Kota Fredericks will hand over 106 low cost housing units in Delft Symphony, Cape Town, as part of the ongoing N2 Gateway housing project.

The Minister and the Deputy Minister will be accompanied by the Premier of the Western Cape, Helen Zille and Human Settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela.

Details are as follows:

Date: 18 February 2014
Place: Delft Symphony precinct 3 and 5
            Corner of Barka Road and Fort Worth Road
            Delft
            Cape Town
Time: 10:30 am

For enquiries contact Vusi Tshose on 083 581 5265

Human Settlements Minister Connie September had introduced the Rental Housing Amendment Bill in the National Assembly, Cape Town.

The Bill is in line with the mandate of the department that seeks lasting solutions to human settlement challenges. Government views rental as one of the key programmes in the provision of housing opportunities.

Minister September told the National Assembly on Tuesday: “After a long process of consultation, we have finally arrived at a point of presenting the bill to the House for a debate. The bill seeks to assist millions of South Africans who are in the rental market.

Twenty years ago, the lessor and lessee relationship was characterised by ineffective and biased regulation as well as glaring inequalities.”

Minister September further explained that the government is conscious of the hardships faced by ordinary citizens, who are threatened with arbitrary evictions, ludicrous rental increases, squalid conditions and the like.

The Minister said some of the amendments to the Act include the following:

• In order to ensure uniformity, the drafting of regulations and processes will be the responsibility of the national Minister;
   
• Make it mandatory for lessor and lessee to enter into written lease agreements.
   
• Broaden the scope of the National Minister’s powers to enact regulations to include the setting of norms and standards in the rental market;
   
• Each local municipality is required to establish a Rental Housing Information Office ; and
   
• The Bill will also make it mandatory for each province to establish a Rental Housing Tribunal as opposed to the current arrangement where this function is left to the provinces to decide. This change is intended to make assistance accessible to as many people as possible.

“The mere fact that this Bill was supported unanimously by all political parties in the House is indicative of thorough processes followed.

We seek to achieve a fair and equitable rental housing landscape to create sufficient housing opportunities to ensure that our people can live in dignity, and not be discriminated against unfairly or be subjected to unscrupulous transactions,” said Minister September.

The National Department of Human Settlement will be rolling out a comprehensive implementation plan that will see training and resources provided to municipalities. This will be to ensure that it gives meaningful effect to what the Bill seeks to achieve.

For media enquiries please contact: Vusi Tshose – 0835815265.

Newly appointed Minister for Human Settlements Lindiwe Sisulu says her immediate priority will be to fast track housing delivery and ensure that there is more affordable housing stock in the market.

Sisulu who served as Minister in the same portfolio in 2004 added that the provision of housing was not only about chasing numbers but ensuring that all houses built by government are of high quality that affords beneficiaries decent accommodation.

“Our primary task is to ensure that we provide decent housing and create an environment whereby the private sector will invest in low income housing projects to cater for those who do not qualify for government subsidised houses and also do not qualify for bond houses,”she said.

During her tenure as Human Settlements Minister, Sisulu saw to the implementation of the Integrated Human Settlements Plan, currently being implemented by all provinces, endorsed by the United Nation’s as a framework for creating sustainable human settlements for communities.

Sisulu added that her new job was more difficult than the previous time she held the post because as the Chairperson of the ANC’s Social Transformation Committee she knew very well the difficult task at hand and will be calling upon on role players in the housing sector to join hands with government in the provision of houses.

“Human Settlements will play a major role in ensuring that the commitments we made as the African National Congress to our people of improving their living conditions becomes a reality in our lifetime. The President has made it clear to all of us that the next five years are about fast tracked service delivery, and I am happy that I have been given this task of leading such a critical service delivery department,” she added.

The National Development Plan, added Sisulu, clearly indicates that Apartheid planning consigned the majority of South African to places far away from work where services could be sustained and this will have to be dealt with ensure an improved lifestyle them.

Sisulu further thanked the team at her previous department the Public Service and Administration for the work that was done within the short period of time she was there.

“Our biggest task at the department was to align the department with the National Development Plan and finalise the Public Administration Management Bill which lays the foundation for an efficient public service. In this regard we have put all measures in place to ensure that government improves the way it does business with it citizens,” she said.

Sisulu also pledged her support to the incoming Minister for the Public Service and Administration, Mr Collins Chabane and said will be available to assist him in settling in. “For my part am looking forward to going back home and fast track the delivery houses for our people”.

Issued by Ndivhuwo Mabaya, Ministerial Spokesperson Contact number : 083 645 7838

CAPE TOWN - The Minister and Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, Lindiwe Sisulu and Zou Kota-Fredericks on Tuesday received briefings from the Western Cape MEC of Human Settlements, Bonginkosi Madikizela, the South African National Road Agency (SANRAL) and representatives of Nomzamo community on the prevailing human settlement and human rights challenge presented by the enforcement of the Western High Court order granted to SANRAL to remove illegal occupiers on their land at Lwandle, in the Western Cape.

After the briefing and a visit to the community by the Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, the Ministers agreed that the City of Cape Town and SANRAL could have handled the dispute and the whole relocation process differently with the main concern being the interest of the people, children and the elderly. The Ministers indicated that if the two parties (the City and SANRAL) could not find a solution they should have elevated the dispute to the Provincial and National Government for mediation and guidance.

Minister Sisulu indicated that she will establish an enquiry to investigate all processes and procedures followed by all involved until the removal was authorized by the High Court and subsequently implemented this week.

“What we saw in the media, the information we gathered from the community, reports we received from SANRAL and statements from the City of Cape Town leaves us with many unanswered questions. It is not possible that in the middle of a very cold Western Cape winter, rains and children writing exams the whole community can be removed in such a brutal force, that concerns me as the Minister of Human Settlement, we are a caring Government,” she said.

The Minister added that in consultation with the Minister of Transport, Dipuo Peters, the illegal occupiers will temporary settle at Lwandle whilst the Government assist SANRAL and City of Cape Town to find a solution to their dispute.

“We must be very clear, we do not encourage illegal occupation of land, it is the inhumane way in which children and women are being removed during winter that we are concern about, the people will have to move out of the land when necessary arrangements are made,” said Sisulu.

Enquries
Ndivhuwo Mabaya
Cell: 083 645 7838
Issued by the Ministry of Human Settlements