Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale will be visiting informal settlements in Cape Town this morning. Accompanied by his ministerial team, Sexwale will interact with residents in Joe Slovo and Delft settlements. They are on a fact-finding mission to experience first hand the harsh living conditions of the country's informal settlements. Sexwale wants to upgrade informal settlements as part of government's commitment to improve living conditions in poor areas. His first point of call today is expected to be at Joe Slovo - an area often hit by devastating shack fires and mired in controversy over the N2 Gateway Project. He'll then be off to Delft - another flash point over housing which has often led to violent protests. It is in this area where backyard dwellers illegally occupied unfinished N2 Gateway homes and were subsequently evicted.
Sexwale’s visits will touch all seven major metropolitan areas and are aimed at allowing the Minister to hear first-hand from residents about their living conditions. The Minister regards the upgrading of informal settlements as a priority and his visits are part of a process of confirming the facts rather than relying on hearsay. Earlier this week, he spent time in Diepsloot outside Johannesburg and spent the night in one of the local shacks. He said that because of the cold he got less than three hours sleep despite having brought blankets. – Additional reporting by Sapa
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