Gigantic effort needed to de-racialise residential spaces - Tokyo Sexwale

Department of Human Settlements budget speech by Minister Tokyo Sexwale in the National Assembly

1. Introduction

In his inaugural State of the Nation Address (SONA) President of the Republic, Mr Jacob Zuma made three pronouncements in respect of the then Department of Housing. These are, name change from housing to human settlements, policy change and the practicalisation of this new paradigm to transform the landscape of housing in South Africa forever.

Over the last four years, we remained seized with the implementation of this new mandate (Outcomes 8). Without any equivocation we state: A firm foundation has been laid towards a sustainable and integrated human settlements objective: Vision 2030.

Consequently, we have a comprehensive strategy premised upon three segments: Housing for the poor; for the GAP Market; and for the middle to the high income earners.

2. Implementing the Vision 2030 Strategy

2.1 Housing for the poor - grant beneficiaries

The main focus of our housing delivery strategy remains the poorest of the poor, many of whom are in and around informal settlements. At this stage, the following message must be clear: Our government does not build slums, imikhukhu, amatyotyombe! These squalid areas have their roots in the Wars of Dispossession, the 1913 Land Act whose centenary is commemorated this year and in subsequent apartheid policies. These policies gave rise to landlessness and joblessness which saw, and continues to see, the destitute escaping rural poverty towards urban areas.

Let me repeat what I said at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University concerning slums.

"They are essentially shanty towns littered across all provinces particularly around the more affluent Metros and municipalities. This therefore results in a situation of the classic undesirable urbanisation, which is driven less by economic growth and more by the rural-urban migration of the poor and jobless."

Question: What steps have we taken to address this? As stated, our focus remains the poor. Over the last four years, our department has thus far, delivered, through grants, over 750 000 houses and housing opportunities.

This has made it possible, during this term of government, for the total housing provided since 1994 to break for the first time, into the 3 million units threshold for those earning from R3 500 to zero; to be precise 3,3 million houses and opportunities now at the cost of R85 000 each towards breaking the backlog of 2,1 million houses for 8 to 10 million people.

2.2 GAP Market Housing - The financially assisted.

The second element of our strategy concerns financial guarantees for affordable housing. This policy for citizens who earn above R3 500 to R15 000 was announced by the President in his 2012 SONA. The department's task is to implement this Finance Linked policy which covers housing for, amongst others, school teachers and principals, police and members of the armed forces, nurses, firemen, prison warders, and blue collar workers. The good news is that this is now a reality and is being rolled out in all provinces via the National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC).

Our implementing agency is the National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC) through a financial instrument called FLISP - Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme. This supports all qualifying beneficiaries with the certainty of being granted loans, bonds or mortgage facilities by Banks and other financial institutions.

At this amount, beneficiaries have an option to buy an existing house, to build a new one or to purchase land. Therefore, to all those people lost in the GAP Market, earning too much to qualify for an RDP house and too little to access Bank finance we say: Rest assured. This government cares - we back you to get your bond!

2.3 Housing for middle to high income earners

We rely upon three instruments which are the Home Loans and Mortage Disclosure Act, the Community Schemes Ombuds Services Act and the Estate Agency Affairs Act. Thanks to the sterling work of the EAAB Administrator, Mr Taswell Papier, this structure has been stabilised.

In summary, the three elements of our strategy are all critical and applicable for different requirements within the comprehensive human settlements environment. Quite clearly, the continuous allocation of grants for free housing to the poorest of the poor is unsustainable going forward. Strictly speaking, this is more of a welfare programme approach than a long lasting housing policy as this programme is driven by the triple evils of unemployment, poverty and inequity. For as long as this is the case, so long shall this programme remain because we as the ANC government are committed to the poor and shall not abandon them through no fault of their own.

It stands to reason therefore, that given the current socio-economic circumstances, the most optimal and practical human settlements strategic approach is that of the enhancement of the Finance Linked programme.

It is noteworthy that the assistance we provide to our citizens in this regard - black and white - empowers them to become real estate owners; to become real participants in the capital markets as asset owners; real players in the property market as sellers or buyers; as well as in the financial markets where they can borrow against their assets to advance other economic interests. The need therefore, to speed up the issuing of Title Deeds to home owners can never be more emphasised.

3. Integrated human settlements development challenges

3.1 Deracialisation of Residential Areas

Top of the list of all budgetary challenges that confront the entire country is that of having to tackle the unique question of deracialising residential space. This, more than anything else, reflects the real evil of apartheid social engineering which motivated the United Nations in 1973 to pass a unanimous resolution declaring apartheid a crime against humanity. To undo this will take gigantic efforts over a long period, requiring major resources.

At this stage, it is noteworthy to indicate that the United Nations Habitat has requested South Africa to host its next conference on human settlements issues later this year.

Our residential deracialisation strategy is underpinned by seven elements.

3.1.1 Firstly, Deracialising White Suburbs by continuing to oblige Banks through Home Loans and Mortgage Disclosure Act (HLAMDA) and to provide loans to black people desiring to purchase property previously exclusive white suburbs.

3.1.2 Secondly, Inner City Housing

Spearheaded by our agency, Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA), the department has over a period been purchasing many high rise buildings in the centres of major towns and cities. They are refurbished and transformed from office space to rented family units, some with an option to buy. This social housing is popular amongst young couples, students and single mothers.

3.1.3 Thirdly, Inner City Land

Through our Housing Development Agency (HDA), the department has acquired land parcels inside the cities from other government departments and State Owned Enterprises. These strategic pieces of land have been used for settling families.

3.1.4 Fourthly, Outer City Districts

Outer City Districts within the immediate proximity of city boundaries is land which is acquired from other Departments, or in partnership with the private sector, for housing construction. This is earmarked at integrating people within the expanding outer city parametres, a walking distance to vital amenities and facilities.

We congratulate companies that have come on board the Each-One-Settle-One campaign by building thousands of homes upon our subsidies for their employees, particularly in the mining industry.

3.1.5 Fifthly, "No-Man's-Land": Town and Township

The evil utilisation of land as a buffer by the architects of apartheid resulted in the creation of "no man's land" between Johannesburg-Soweto, Cape Town-Gugulethu, Pretoria-Mamelodi, Durban-Umlazi, Port-Elizabeth-KwaZakhele, to name a few, resulting in the black areas having little or no amenities and facilities.

Our approach is to focus on building integrated human settlements in this space to locate people closer to the towns and cities.

3.1.6 Sixth, Townships Upgrading Strategy

It is inevitable that the black townships which were created as a reservoir of labour far away from white cities must be upgraded to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants. On our part, we empower municipalities through the accreditation process by giving them direct funds and authority to construct human settlements within their jurisdiction.

It is for this reason, among others, that in partnership with the Department of Higher Education and the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, we launched a four-year Bachelor's Degree in Human Settlements Development, the first of its kind, which will later extend to Masters and Doctoral levels. The same degree will be offered by the Universities of Fort Hare and UNISA in the future.

3.1.7 Seventh, new non-racial towns and cities

Our mandate is to establish new non-racial towns and cities to concretise the principle of a united people in non-racial residential areas.

The new town of Lephalale - Joe Slovo City -under construction in Limpopo, driven by the economies of the Medupi Power Station, is an example in point.

3.2 Other Human Settlements development challenges

3.2.1 Other challenges confronting us are about greater coordination together with other related government departments responsible for big ticket items like bulk services, electrification, water and sanitation, sewerage plants, roads, transportation, etc.

The Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Committee (PICC) whose efforts are beginning to bear fruit is the answer to the required coordination.

3.2.2 It is unacceptable given the fact after the passing of budgets by this House, we always speedily transfer funds to provinces and accredited municipalities. Many of them discharge their responsibilities perfectly well and are applauded. Yet some fail to spend.

Where some of them do, they sometimes resort to fiscal dumping which often results in shoddy workmanship leading to the wasteful practice of rectification amounting to billions of rands. The newly appointed Board of the National Homebuilders Regulatory Council (NHBRC) carries a huge responsibility in respect of safeguarding proper procedures in the construction industry countrywide.

Furthermore, mindful of the positive work by the Portfolio Committee led by Chairperson Dambuza in its oversight responsibilities, I urge the committee, including the Select Committee to redouble its efforts in coming down hard upon those responsible. On our part, we have taken some of the severest actions against those who engage in shoddy workmanship or fail to adhere to norms and standards on, for example, sanitation.

It is totally unacceptable that although we provide funds, responsible government entities and certain municipalities fail to even build a simple toilet whilst there is a serious stench of the bucket system in some parts of the country. Where they are built, some are left uncovered such as in the recent scandalous cases in Makhaza and Moqhaka, in the Western Cape and Free State respectively, even prompting the Human Rights Commission to get involved!

Our response of taking away funds from poor performers, as required by the law, will continue but is inadequate. Capacity issues need to be addressed. Most importantly, political parties must ensure that their deployees are capable - and there is nothing the matter with cadre deployment - and in turn such deployees should select appropriately qualified employees for the public service.

Our commitment and resolve to rooting out and exposing corruption remains undiminished. We continue to take a dim view of those housing beneficiaries who are engaged in double dipping - a practice of people coming from other parts of the country where services such as sanitation and housing have already been provided for them, yet they flock to informal settlements. This is wrong.

Others engage in the corrupt conduct of selling their houses before the expiry date, including to foreigners, with the help unscrupulous lawyers and fly-by-night estate agents. This is fraudulent. We implore members of civil society to expose such chance takers who, like many we have caused to be prosecuted, should face the full might of the law.

4. Budget focus 2013/14 to 2015/16

The department has been allocated a budget of R28.1 billion for the 2013/14 financial year representing an increase of R2,9 billion. The allocation is expected to grow to R32,7 billion in 2015/16. The conditional grants to provinces constitute a R53, 7 billion over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period while the Urban Settlements Development Grants to municipalities will be receiving an allocation of approximately R30 billion in three years of MTEF.

The conditional grants and transfers to Human Settlements Institutions constitute 97% The total capital grant allocation amounts to R26.1 billion which consists of the Human Settlements Development grant of R16.9 billion, the Urban Settlements Development Grant of R9 billion and the Rural Households Infrastructure Grant of R107 million in 2013/14.

To conclude, the National Development Plan states: "The inefficiencies and inequalities in South Africa's settlement patters are deeply entrenched. Bold measures are needed to reshape them."

In the context of all we have articulated, the 2013-2014 human settlements budget is important to the extent that it's a continuation of the critical stimulus we provide to the total economic development of the country. Our budget should be seen as a catalyst in this process including job creation through our twin empowerment and construction programmes of Women and Youth Builds.

Incrementally throughout our term, the budget has been earmarked primarily to address the poorest of the poor. In continuing to do so, let there be no doubt that our quest is not to be patted on the back for chasing numbers at the cost of quality.

We are mindful that in addressing the unique challenges of reengineering integrated human settlements in our country, there can be no socio-economic equality without providing our people with quality. On this, there is no compromise.

I thank you.

- Issued by the Department of Human Settlements, May 22 2013

Informal settlements a problem: Sexwale

Port Elizabeth - The growth of informal settlements compounded the problem of meeting the demand for housing, Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale said on Tuesday.

He said informal settlements were essentially shanty towns and slums.

This resulted in undesirable urbanisation driven less by economic growth and more by rural-urban migration of the poor and jobless.

This meant South Africa was confronted with a crisis similar to an internal refugee situation, as there was a continuous flow of poor and jobless migrants into the cities.

“The number of informal settlements is growing uncontrollably. Likewise, the populations inside these ghettos is increasing rapidly,” Sexwale said in Port Elizabeth.

“This imposes increased service delivery pressure upon resources like electricity, water, sanitation, health services and housing, all of which were never budgeted for by the perceived affluent municipalities.”

Sexwale was speaking at the establishment of the chair for education in human settlements development management at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth.

He said growing discontent in informal settlements manifested itself in xenophobic incidents and service delivery protests, which were turning increasingly violent.

The solution was a comprehensive approach, represented by the National Development Plan and underpinned by the Presidential Infrastructure Co-ordinating Commission's strategy on infrastructure.

“The NDP further highlights the need to professionalise the public service, including the creation of capacity and competency, particularly at local government level,” he said.

He said the developmental approach advocated in the NDP hinged upon an economy that was performing optimally as opposed to the current low economic growth rate and high unemployment, particularly among young people. 

- Sapa

Minister Sexwale Must Go!

The IFP calls for the immediate removal of the Minister of Human Settlements, Hon Tokyo Sexwale as he is consistently failing in his duties as Minister.

IFP Spokesperson on Human Settlements, Mr Petros Sithole MP said, "Tokyo must go! The Department of Human Settlements despite having more than adequate funding is still failing to provide housing and sanitation services to our people. The under-spending that is rampant in various provincial departments of Human Settlements is a clear indication that the minister has lost all control of the Department. It is therefore imperative that the Minister vacate his position immediately and allow a capable individual to take over this executive portfolio."

"This under-spending in some provinces raises more concerns as it may lead to a re-direction of funds from planned to un-planned projects or the money be directed back to Treasury. The Provinces, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Northern Cape, Free State and Gauteng are the main culprits of under-spending with their housing budget allocations and it is impossible for them to spend all of the remaining balances before the end of March."

"Furthermore, we are very concerned about the Ministerial Sanitation Task Team led by Winnie Madikizela-Mandela which seems utterly dysfunctional. We have no idea what it is doing as it does not report. Many people are still using the bucket system and others have no sanitation at all," said Sithole.

The IFP believes that the MECs and Heads of Departments who under-spend their Housing budgets must also be held accountable and be dismissed together with the Minister.

- AllAfrica

Sexwale's State of the Nation

Count me as a mischievous journo, possibly with too much time on his hands, prone to staring at my navel and fishing for issues, but Tokyo Sexwale's recent briefing to the Human Settlements Parliamentary Portfolio Committee smacked of a mini-State of the Nation address (SONA) or, at the very least, a dry run of sorts. He held a boardroom in the palm of his hands as he gave his synopsis of the country.

Cynically his words became quote-a-minute, replete with drama, dressed up in his characteristic baritone voice, delivering scenes of future-case scenarios dripping in dystopianism, which, some would argue (most of them from within the belly of that beast the ANC) amount to nothing more than surreptitious campaigning. But cynicism (mine included) aside, his reflections on how dysfunctional government has become was refreshing.

"Something is simmering that we must be able to take action to address, so that we don't have other Marikanas," warned Sexwale, a remark almost certain to be included in quotes of the week.

Soon his 'home truths' as he put it, started looking like a State of the Nation in reverse. I say this because when presidents usually deliver their (executive) summaries of the state of a country expect flowery quotes, saccharine obsequiousness, mangled rationality and mind numbing rhetoric.

Want to hear some more of Sexwale's topsy-turvy SONA? He had loads more to say. "The Marikanas will keep on repeating themselves over and over until we crumble," the wannabe Commander-in Chief lamented. I scanned the boardroom for signs of life in MPs as Sexwale spilled over with uncomfortable honesty. A stifled cringe appeared on the face of one member (was it the tuna croissant which wasn’t sitting well?). Reporters smiled, excited by the quality of the quotes which could jostle and compete for paper space.

Most listened in genuine rapt attention. Sexwale had them. His 'home truths' seemed more like a backdrop to a president-in-waiting, a leader (of sorts) flexing his muscles in the run-up to (can you guess?) Mangaung.

From Marikana to the arms deal, Sexwale deftly drew parallels between how wrong the state can get it and how it needs to find direction. Was he the captain who was going to steer the ship back onto course?  "It has come back to haunt us (the arms deal). It has caused such a lot of disquiet," he fretted. He added, "If you think it is disassociated from the problem (of sanitation provision problems) you'd be wrong."

He went on to virtually wail, if only a quarter of the money spent on the abortion of an arms deal was spent on things like housing for the poor we wouldn't have the problems we see today. Half an hour passed and Sexwale was still not done, sketching a country in distress. His intention was by that stage very clear - he was coming to save South Africa. "To Blame Apartheid is no longer wisdom," he said, "it's gone. The task now rests with us."

Virtually everything he said could be applied to some aspect of the country's woes. From housing and sanitation, to service protests and strikes, Sexwale was laying it out - an uncomfortable scenario of government failures, set against the shading of a presidential campaign race.

His campaign for the heart, soul and small intestine of the ANC of course didn't start in that committee room in parliament last Friday. Sexwale has been eyeing the leadership of the ruling party and by proxy the country for years. I recall in the run up to the ANC's Polokwane conference, Sexwale addressed students in Johannesburg, where he let rip with the usual politicking, complete with promises of delivery, assurances of not rocking the boat with radical policy changes and views on how things would be awesome and amazing if only he was the boss. We know how that turned out for him and now he's having another bite. Was it Sexwale’s Mangaung Campaign Version 2.0 we witnessed in parliament last Friday? Methinks, absolutely!

As he hammered on 'home truths' as a backdrop to the release of the findings of a sanitation audit carried out by a ministerial task team, a more apt setting one would struggle to find! Like the provision of basic sanitation needs for the poor, which was itself in the poo (forgive me this crude pun for I can't resist) too many other aspects of government delivery was going down the toilet (probably of the 'open air' persuasion as seen in Makhaza). But whether Sexwale is truly, genuinely willing to get his hands dirty in fixing the problems, remains to be seen?

- Eyewitness News

I don't want thieves in my department - Sexwale

HUMAN Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale yesterday lashed out at government officials who were "failing to deliver quality and dignified" houses .

"This is one of the beautiful projects done with your money. Your taxes should be utilised properly," he said.

"I don't want thieves in my department. Parliament gives us money and that money goes right to the provinces, where it should be properly utilised. My job is to follow where that money went and see if it had been properly utilised."

Sexwale said he was against the building of poor quality houses.

"We don't want houses that are incomplete, houses that fall six months after completion. We are building dignified houses that people should be proud to own," he said.

Sexwale said they had arrested businesspeople and lawyers who had defrauded the department by failing to complete their projects.

Sexwale was speaking during the official handover of 228 housing units in Masimong in Welkom. He was accompanied by businessman and Harmony Mines chairman Patrice Motsepe.

Harmony Mines has contributed R150-million, which is half of the amount spent on the project, and also provided the land on which the houses are built.

About 233 units will be completed later as part of Phase 2 of the project.

The rental units were built after the mine was closed and are meant to accommodate people working in and around Welkom.

Rent will vary from R500 to R1200 a month.

The units comprise bachelor units, double and three-bedroom units. Each unit is equipped with a stove, cupboards and a washing machine.

Motsepe, who was accompanied by his wife Precious, said he was proud of the partnership with the government.

"Our people hope that the government will change their lives. This initiative is among those that improve their lives. There is a duty for all of us businesspeople, the tripartite alliance and government to improve our people's lives," Motsepe said.

He urged other businesspeople to work with the government in changing lives in the country.

Cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Olly Mlamleli said the rental units had brought dignity to the people of the Free State.

"People here need housing and nothing else. We are changing people's lives from hostel to dignified housing units," she said.

Sexwale lauds Sowetan for housing exposés

MINISTER of Human Settlements Tokyo Sexwale yesterday praised Sowetan for its reports on poorly built RDP houses and the sanitation crisis.

Sexwale was speaking to Sowetan in Welkom during the handing over of rental units in the area.

"Well done on your exposés about the poorly built houses. I follow Sowetan's stories about the poorly built houses and poor sanitation. The newspaper's articles have resulted in the formation of a task team led by Winnie Madikizela-Mandela," he said.

Sexwale said the task team was investigating incomplete houses and the sanitation crisis in the country.

"You must continue telling us where we are not doing (the right thing) as government. We are going to fix those unfinished houses. We want skilled contractors that have money so that we can retrieve our money if they fail to complete their projects.

"One wonders why fly-by-night contractors are given jobs to build houses. They abandon their projects . such people must be blacklisted from doing business with government," he said.

- Sowetan

Tokyo Sexwale accused of conflict of interest

Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale has a stake in a company that financed a BEE deal which led to the development of an apartment block now used to house government ministers.

The Sunday Times has established that the Department of Public Works paid R20-million for 16 apartments and two penthouses in Muizenberg, Cape Town.

The penthouses at Sunrise Villas, valued at R7.8-million, have eight bedrooms, a jacuzzi, private elevators and braai areas on a combined entertainment deck overlooking False Bay.

"The penthouses are used as transit units for ministers and deputy ministers while their official residences are being upgraded. For security reasons, we are unable to disclose which ministers are currently being accommodated there," said Mandisa Fatyela-Lindie, Director-General of the Department of Public Works.

Sexwale's spokesman, Xolani Xundu, said that Sunrise Villas posed no conflict of interest because, since returning to public office, Sexwale's business interests were managed by a "blind trust".

But DA shadow minister of public works Anchen Dreyer said the link hinted at "government doing business with government, which is fundamentally wrong".

The Department of Public Works confirmed this week that an agreement to buy the properties was entered into with MSP Developers in 2010.

MSP Developers is 50%-owned by One Vision Investments, a broad-based BEE initiative financed by Mvelaphanda Holdings, the business empire founded by Sexwale.

Dreyer is now asking questions in parliament about Sunrise Villas. "It raises a definite conflict of interest. Government ministers or officials in the public service should not be doing business with the state as a matter of principle," she said.

Xundu rubbished the notion, saying Sexwale was "no longer involved in the day-to-day running of Mvelaphanda".

A blind trust involves placing assets under the control of an independent person or agency without the asset owner knowing how they are managed.

Said Dreyer: "The so-called blind trust doesn't seem to be so blind after all. Does the trust just happen to be co-developers of a property where the government just happens to buy apartments? Does the government really expect the voters to believe this fairy story? Who is the guide dog of this blind trust?"

The use of blind trusts by politicians made headlines two years ago after one of Sexwale's companies won a tender for security at King Shaka International Airport. Sexwale flaunted his business savvy in the 2005 hit show The Apprentice as the mastermind behind Mvelaphanda Holdings.

He relinquished direct control when he returned to government as minister of human settlements in 2009. He declared his stake in Mvelaphanda before parliament in 2010, saying it was "controlled by a portfolio manager".

Conflicts of interest were raised in parliament last Tuesday. DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko asked if the ANC would benefit from an R840-billion infrastructure programme through its investment arm, Chancellor House. President Jacob Zuma replied that to exclude firms with political connections would surely mean "discriminating simply because they are politicians".

MSP managing director John Coetzee said their business was transparent. "The development is sold to the open market by various estate agents and is open to all purchasers," he said.

MSP's rentals agent at Sunrise Villas, Mark Assure, said the penthouses were last used when parliament opened in February.

"Most residents here are unaware of politicians coming and going. There isn't much interaction really, as the penthouses also have their own private elevator with a code-system," he said.

- Timeslive

Sexwale's Unilateral Withdrawal of the Rental Housing Amendment Bill Is Not Acceptable

Today, the Minister of Human Settlements Tokyo Sexwale, withdrew the Rental Housing Amendment Bill (RHAB) from Parliament despite the unanimous support for the bill in the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements.

The Minister argues that it would be legally and practically impossible for his department to implement the bill.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) recognises the significance of rental housing as one of the alternative housing methods that cater for the gap market, which includes middle income earners and students. The RHAB outlines mechanisms in support of a harmonious relationship between tenants and landlords.

One of the most important amendments was to introduce an appeals mechanism, which would allow an independent body to evaluate disputes between tenants and landlords.

Minister Sexwale introduced this bill in September last year. Whilst the bill was deliberated upon in the committee, the Minister had several opportunities to express his reservations or objections to the bill. No such objections were raised by the Minister.

Instead, he waited until committee deliberations were completed and the bill tabled for adoption in parliament before declaring it impossible to implement.

This undermines the legislative mandate of parliament.

Members from all parties in the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements today expressed their dissatisfaction with the Minister's decision.

This bill was intended to improve protection for both landlords and tenants in the rental housing market. This market has an important role to play in terms of creating sustainable human settlement solutions for poor South Africans.

The DA will support proposals by the committee to have the RHAB re-introduced to the National Assembly as a committee bill.

Stevens Mokgalapa, Shadow Minister of Human Settlements

- allAfrica

Rich Cape suburbs to get gap housing

The city says it will build scores of affordable apartments in some of Cape Town’s most affluent suburbs and closer to the CBD.

The plan is part of the new Cape Town Spatial Development Framework, launched by the City of Cape Town and the provincial Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning.

This will take affordable, or gap housing, to areas across Cape Town, including Pinelands, the city centre, Tamboerskloof and Salt River.

The plan is one of several in the new policy, which also looks at creating employment hubs closer to informal settlements. There will also be mixed development areas, with residential and business areas closer to each other.

The city says the new framework replaces the “apartheid-era plans”.

Belinda Walker, the mayoral committee member for economic, environmental and spatial planning, said one of the goals was to “transform the apartheid city”.

It was “sensible” for the city to “house people close to the city”.

Some informal settlement residents could afford homes, but there were issues with securing funding from banks.

This new framework proposed more developments for gap housing.

This is housing for people who earn too much to qualify for a subsidised house, but struggle to secure a bond.

One of the plans was to build high-rise apartments along parts of Voortrekker Road between Bellville and Salt River.

Walker said this would fit in with the extension of the MyCiTi service along that road.

But the city maintained that the new developments would not change the feel of the suburbs.

Walker said some parts of the city centre already catered for high-rise blocks, while Tamboerskloof had more Victorian-themed homes.

“The city will do this in a way that does not disturb the heritage of the area,” she said.

According to the framework, the city must “avoid large concentrations of poor people”, similar to Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha, in “new growth areas”.

“(The city should) promote a greater mix of market-driven, gap and subsidised developments in as many areas as possible,” the document reads.

Other parts of the policy include pushing for partnerships with the private sector. This would, ideally, provide gap housing in private developments.

The ANC in the city council welcomed the move, adding that it was part of what they had been calling for in their local government election campaign last year.

- Cape Argus

Department Probing Over R4.2 Billion in Housing Contracts

Cape Town — Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale on Wednesday detailed a number of steps that his department had taken to root out corruption in the low-cost housing sector - including the arrest and dismissal of several public servants and investigation of 57 housing projects valued at over R4.2 billion.

Delivering his Budget Vote, Sexwale said 40 investigations had so far been completed, while a further 17 were still ongoing.

Provinces were participating in the investigations, he said, noting that Limpopo had taken the lead among provinces in probing housing contracts.

Sexwale said added to this, 24 contractors had been blacklisted for shoddy workmanship, non-delivery and incompetence.

These cases and others had been referred to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).

Further to this, more than 290 public servants had been arrested for suspected housing subsidy fraud and 250 had been found guilty and a further 220 were facing internal disciplinary action.

Nearly R30 million lost through corrupt activities has been recovered, he said.

Added to this, action had been taken against three public servants, namely:

* Thami Mpotulo, the former chief director of the National Sanitation Programme, who had been found guilty of dereliction of duty and improper conduct and had been dismissed.

* Sipho Mashinini, the suspended chief executive of the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC), who had been found guilty of financial misconduct and the presiding chairperson of the enquiry, retired Judge President Myburg of the Labour Court, had recommended a summary dismal.

* Vanessa Somiah, a former SAPS detective and top SIU investigator - who was irregularly employed at the NHBRC by Mashinini - has had her employment terminated by the Board with immediate effect.

Said Sexwale: "I say this with a heavy heart. My job as a minister is not to be a policeman chasing people around, but you members ask me questions about these things and you always ask me 'show me... investigations... what have you done'."

In the last financial year, the department had spent 98% of its budget and built 180 000 housing opportunities, and created 76 000 job opportunities - including 50 000 direct jobs - through a number of key housing projects across the country.

These include: Lakehaven in Ethekwini, KwaZulu-Natal; a Brandford Women's Build project in the Free State; Mazista, Swaartruggens in the North West; Seshego in Polokwane; Klarinet, Emalahleni in Mpumalanga; China Square Project in Kimberly; the redevelopment of Jabulani Hostel in Soweto; the densification of Joe Slovo in Cape Town and the Southernwood social housing project in Buffalo City, Eastern Cape.

Sexwale singled out the use of recycled materials that had been used to build houses in Blue Downs - using the rubble from the demolished Athlone cooling towers which were imploded in 2010.

He congratulated Anglo Platinum for helping to build 20 000 homes, at the cost of R1.4 billion, for their employees in the North West and Limpopo, under the department's Each One, Settle One campaign.

Mining giants Gold One and BHP Billiton would soon be making similar announcements too, he said.

However, he said though there had been considerable response from the private sector, many JSE-listed companies had not joined the campaign.

Over 22% of enquiries and pledges to the campaign are from those who want to build homes for their domestic workers and 15% from those who wish to offer technical expertise to the department.

He said the department's turnaround strategy had now been completed.

In line with the Cabinet decision to have all housing-related legislation located within the Department of Human Settlements, Sexwale said the Estate Agency Affairs Act had been transferred to his department from trade and industry.

This would help his department to fast track the deracialisation of residential areas, he said.

He said sanitation had been elevated to a national priority under the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission.

- allAfrica

Sexwale moots state construction firm

Cape Town - The Department of Human Settlements is considering establishing a state-owned construction company, Minister Tokyo Sexwale said on Wednesday.

Sexwale said when houses were built in the government housing programme, the department relied “by and large” on inexperienced shovel, wheelbarrow and bakkie brigades.

“Many of these discredit the good name of genuine and committed small to medium emerging contractors,” he said.

“This does not take away the fact that some small companies have experience, but a lot of fly-by-nights take the taxpayer to the cleaners with their shoddy workmanship.

“Is it perhaps not time to establish a state-owned construction company? We at Human Settlements are exploring this idea together with Public Works.”

Sexwale said the department was a key player in the property market, with a recent study finding that 1.44 million of the six million registered residential properties in the Deeds Registry were government subsidised.

This represented 24 percent of the total number of registered residential properties.

Sexwale said this could increase to 35 percent if the backlog in issuing title deeds was overcome.

The department, he said, would focus on low-cost housing construction projects in its attempt to root out corruption and maladministration.

More than 50 housing projects, valued at R4.2-billion, had been identified as the targets of an investigation, Sexwale said.

“The new focus in our current investigations is on low-cost housing construction contracts.

“In this regard, more than 50 housing projects with the value of R4.2-billion were identified. Over 40 investigations have been completed and 17 are ongoing.”

Sexwale said Limpopo had “taken the lead” in the fight against corruption by blacklisting 24 contractors for shoddy workmanship, non-delivery and incompetence, and recovering more than a million rand from these companies.

More than 290 public servants who had committed housing subsidy-related misconduct and fraud had been arrested.

Nearly R30-million lost through corrupt activities had been recovered, Sexwale said. - Sapa

----- Funny this, the fanciful Flagship N2 Gateway disaster producers One Lindiwe Sisulu and her corrupt advisor Saths Moddley mooted this all the way back here already...

State mulls creation of own cement, brick factories

Moot moot moot ~ Mute.

South Africa: Communities Urged to Build Own Homes

East London — Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale says people should start building their own homes and stop relying on government alone to provide RDP houses.

Sexwale was addressing a group of dissatisfied residents from the Southernwood Square Social Housing Project in East London on Tuesday.

"I'm often frowned upon when I say this, but free housing can't and won't go on forever in this country. I urge people to capacitate themselves in order to build their own houses," said Sexwale.

The residents ambushed Sexwale with their concerns at the project's official launch, which was also attended by the provincial Economic Development MEC Mcebisi Jonas, government officials and the contractors.

One of those unhappy with conditions at the project was Andre Bosman, who said the project was plagued by a number of problems, including poor infrastructure, leaking toilets and broken passage lights.

He said poor security at the project had resulted in a number of incidents of theft, public drinking and vandalism.

"We are glad that the minister is here so we can communicate with him about the problems plaguing this residence since it opened. We pay a lot of money and yet we have to put up with poor service," said Bosman, who has been living in the projects for a year.

Sexwale urged the residents to be patient with the developers, citing snagging problems as the reason for most of the complaints.

"In construction, we have something called snagging. These are problems that arise during and after the completion of construction projects that must be attended to after the company in charge of building and maintenance has identified the problems. So we ask you to be patient because these problems will be addressed," said Sexwale.

He congratulated Buffalo City Metro Municipality for its efforts to accelerate social housing projects, which has seen the metro score the highest when it comes to the construction and provision of social housing.

Sexwale said the nine-storey building, which caters for households earning between R2 500 and R7 500 per month, pushed boundaries in terms of design and structural engineering.

"The project consists of 249 units, 57 bachelor flats, 78 one bedroom flats and 114 two bedrooms flats. Through its construction, 140 jobs were created, 90 of which were for the local community," he added.

- allAfrica

Minister too busy to worry about shacks

The title of Minister of Housing changed to Minister of Human Settlements and the present incumbent is Tokyo Sexwale.

Since the very first free elections, housing in South Africa has largely been beset by badly built or nonexistent Reconstruction and Development Programme houses, corrupt contracts or simple pipe dreams. Former Minster Lindile Sisulu promised in Cape Town to build 20 000 houses in three years . . . nope, it was 18 months. Nope, it was 12 months. Anyway, it did not happen – not even 2 000 houses and now she is Minister of Defence, where she can make much bigger promises.

The reason for the change of title to Minister of Human Settlements is, I think, that nobody could dignify the dwellings in which half the population lives as houses and it would probably be politically unwise to have a Ministry of Miserable Shacks and Mansions, as appropriate as this may be.

One has to admire Tokyo S. He is a very busy man. He was very much part of the recent African National Congress disciplinary hearing into the actions of Julius Malema, which function must have rated way above worrying about Human Settlements. He certainly was not present at that most important recent event (in our lives here at home) – the burning down of Morris’s shack.

Morris works for my practice and has four children. All were, fortunately, spared when the youngest child lit the ‘flame stove’ in Morris’s shack in the wrong way and the shack caught alight and burned down.

I did some investigation (after getting the Morris family back in business) and found out this: 95% of shack fires are caused by electrical faults or stoves or lamps. The electrical faults occur since illegal taps to power lines feed a whole series of extension cords strung together to bring power (at a fixed rate) to shack after shack. When the cords overload, they melt and stuff catches fire. In Cape Town, they are quite prepared to supply safe low-cost power connections (even to a shack) but they want the way clear so they can easily service these connections. This doesn’t happen, so it doesn’t happen.

Paraffin lamps get knocked over and . . . well . . . fire.

The simple way forward is this: ask consulting firms around the country to let contracts to build houses which have a low fire load (the self-build houses in Mossel Bay are an excellent example). Contract on open (really open, no rubbish) tender and build houses. Trust me, a trained matriculant could administer this.

As for lights, we have been testing some solar lights which consist of a panel with a battery, a solar panel and lamps. Some of them are good, some not so good. But the good ones we have tested are very good – durable, reliable and simple, and cost about R900 per set of two lamps.

Now, since the power for lighting in shacks is going to be stolen anyway, why do municipalities and Eskom not just buy a whole lot of these and free-issue them to those who need lights? I can let whoever wants see the results of our tests on various solar lights. If they supplied 100 000 solar lights, then, at a cost of R800 each, with each set replacing 120 W of incandescent light, for R80-million you would knock 120 MW off the power system.

Think about it – each of those ghastly wind turbines produces about 2 MW and costs R12-million; the solar lights are a significantly better idea. Will it happen? I am certain not. Our Minister is too busy giving evidence for comrades and being president of the South African-Japanese Business Forum, honorary consul general of Finland in South Africa, honorary colonel in the South African Air Force . . . and Morris, after all, is just a bricklayer. But now a bricklayer with solar lights.

- Engineering News

Human Settlements Minister Sexwale: 'housing for poor is not sustainable'

Minister says the private sector must contribute to the provision of housing for the poor, and that is why he will launch the "each one, settle one" campaign at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on Thursday...

HUMAN Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale says the government must have a cut-off date on which it will stop building free houses for the poor.

"We can't sustain what we are doing. There has to be a cut-off date. We are discussing that. But you can't cut off the poor right now, particularly not in the current national economic environment," Sexwale told the 12th international housing and home warranty conference at Cape Town's International Convention Centre yesterday.

He said the private sector would have to contribute to the provision of housing for the poor, and that was why he would launch the "each one, settle one" campaign at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on Thursday.

The campaign would ask "captains of industry" to "empty their pockets" to build houses, Sexwale said.

He also called on conference delegates to come up with innovative ways to build houses for the poor.

"Talking about good quality products means you don't take the poor for granted. Quite often people build houses, but if it is for the poor the quality tends to be lower."

Sexwale also called for an end to racialised human settlements.

"The task, if we have to be a common people bound by our humanity, is to create a situation in which people can live together."

He also warned that climate change could destroy the work of housing ministers.

Calling for a minute of silence for Kenyan environmental activist and Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai, who died on Sunday morning, Sexwale said "cities are threatened".

"If we continue to emit negative gases into the air ... at this rate ... whatever we plan climate change might negate," he said.

- Sowetan

Sexwale calls for free housing deadline

Free housing for the poor has to have a cut off date, Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale said in Cape Town.

The solution to South Africa's backlog of 2.3 million houses was not in providing free homes, he told the International Housing and Home Warranty Conference.

He added however, that now was not the time to "cut off the poor".

"The solution will come not from free housing. There has to be a cut off date for discussing that. But we can't cut off the poor right now, particularly in the current national economic environment."

The answer to all housing problems lay in having a growing economy, where people had jobs and could access finance.

"We can't sustain what we are doing for a long time."

Sexwale said South Africa, which had around 2500 slums, faced added problems from its growing population of immigrants, from countries such as Nigeria and Zimbabwe.

"We have natural population growth as well as growth because people are coming here."

Another difficulty lay in the provision of social housing. South Africans, Sexwale said, preferred standalone houses with their own gardens, but a shortage of land around cities was making that impossible.

"The challenge is to develop social housing and planning for new towns and cities," he said.

"The challenge is for densification. We are having to go higher and higher and higher. The challenge is quite big."

- Timeslive

The Scientific Law of Revolution

The man best known for the Boooooo Report and other such famous lines:

"We can't continue to do business like this"

"My houses will rock'

"In-situ upgrading" and "high-rise innercity rental"

"5% rental collection rate"

"I'm not moving my people until I've worked with them".

"I AM NOT THE MINISTER OF RECTIFICATION"

" What is a challenge is the quality of houses that we build. Why do they crack only six months after we have built them? It is because we give tenders to our friends, families and girlfriends."

"I cannot sleep properly in my house if my people are homeless, when they can't be protected from the weather when it is rainy and windy ... suffering in their shacks."

"it's a plot" not a plot to build a house on..... Noooooooo a plot to overthrow the government...

(Rivonia all over again)

has something to say about the Sexwale Scientific Law of Revolution; after all it was him who first succumbed to this law. Why at the Rivonia trial all back then he stated before the court:

Defendants response:

(...) We lived in poverty and we were all subjected to the humiliation which the whites imposed upon the blacks.

We lived in the same typical 'matchbox' houses; we were continually aware that there was not enough money available to meet our needs for food, clothing and education;

and when we went into town and saw the relative luxury in which white people lived, this made an indelible impression on our young minds...

It is true that I was trained in the use of weapons and explosives. The basis of my training was in sabotage, which was to be aimed at institutions and not people...

We believe, and I believe, that the black people cannot be passive onlookers in their own country. We want to be active participants in shaping the face and course of direction of South Africa.

My Lord, these are the reasons why I find myself in the dock today... I realised that the struggle for freedom would be difficult and would involve sacrifices. I was and am willing to make those sacrifices...

The Cold War: A history in documents

Sexwale stresses scientific importance of property ownership

Human Settlement Minister Tokyo Sexwale on Thursday emphasised the importance of property ownership at the 43rd South African Property Owners Association (Sapoa) convention in Cape Town.

“Everyone wants to own property. Everyone has a right to property ownership,” he said, adding that the issue of ownership had to be dealt with.

“We have so much land that will be divided into many plots. The more plots we have the better,” Sexwale, who is accused of being part of a plot to unseat President Jacob Zumain 2014, quipped at the convention.

The Minister stressed that, according to the Constitution, no one should be deprived from owning property, except in terms of the law of general application, and that no law may permit arbitrary depravation of property.

“Our Constitution cannot be treated as a piece of toilet paper. It is a formidable law that comes with the dreams and hopes of the people.”

Using the unrest in the Middle East as an example, Sexwale said that the revolution was as a result of people struggling of find their voices. The people of Libya, Egypt and Tunisia, are saying to the rulers, it is time to go.

“They are fighting for a voice in a system that rendered them voiceless. They want to talk about jobs, land and owning property. They are 40 years behind South Africa. We have the voice and they are in a struggle to use their voices as a tool for change.”

He cautioned that in a developing country, if people do not have a sense of belonging, one is asking for a revolution.

“A fundamental revolution to bring change. If fellow South Africans do not have a sense of belonging, the scientific law of a revolution will kick in.”

He bemoaned the fact that the “tentacles of apartheid” in terms of spacial planning were still evident in South Africa, citing Soweto as an example of the largest sprawl in Africa.

“We have a shrewd system to redress and address. We need to reverse the legacy of apartheid to unite Johannesburg and Soweto, Umlazi and Durban. We need to close that gap and unite the people.”

He pointed out that the 2,1 million housing units backlog and the 2 700 informal settlements without water, electricity and sanitation as an “enormous challenge”.

Sexwale also urged Sapoa to partner with the government in terms of funding bulk services.

“We have a number of projects on stream, but water, electricity and sanitation remain a challenge,” he said.

Outgoing Sapoa president and Liberty Life Properties CEO Samuel Ogbu also said that the industry and government had to work together to create new opportunities.

He urged the industry to find new ways to recover from the slump in 2008 and to find opportunities and exploring them.

Meanwhile, Ogbu said that Sapoa had a busy year engaging policy makers on national discords. Over the past year, it has been looking at over 90 pieces of legislation that impact on the real estate industry.

- Engineering News

New Era for Joe Slovo Housing Project

Housing Minister Tokyo Sexwale said today marked the beginning of an important turn around in the troubled Joe Slovo housing project in the Western Cape.

"We can say for sure that Joe Slovo will never be the same again," said Sexwale at the sod-turning ceremony at Phase Three of the housing project near Langa, Cape Town.

Phase Three is expected to be completed in 2012 and well over 2,000 families will be serviced by the double story units.

"The launch of this project today, also demonstrates the interconnectedness of informal settlements upgrading programme and the provision of subsidies to the most destitute and vulnerable members of society," said Sexwale, adding that 400,000 households in informal settlements needed to be upgraded by 2014.

The minister said 2,886 units were going to be built over 24 months at a cost of R374 million.

The Joe Slovo housing project has seen its share of upheaval. In June 2009, after a series of protests by disgruntled residents, the Constitutional Court made a judgment in favor of orderly evictions of the people of Joe Slovo, in order for development to take place.

- allAfrica.com

Low cost housing launched

Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale on Thursday reiterated the importance of housing people in places closer to work and other amenities.

Speaking at the launch of a R75-million social housing project in Brooklyn, Cape Town, he said: “We have always said where we stay should be where we play, where we pray and where we work.”

This was part of the department's “way of providing decent and affordable accommodation” for people closer to areas of work, transport and where they could lead productive lives, he said.

The Drommedaris Brooklyn Social Housing project - located in the Koeberg Road - had been specifically designed to take advantage of the proposed Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) routes in Cape Town.

This meant people would not spend longer than necessary getting to and from work.

The project was part of the department's social housing initiative intended to provide accommodation for people who did not qualify for government subsidised houses and in the same process could not access mortgage loans from banks.

“What we are witnessing today is the realisation of our long-term objectives of ensuring that people who earn between R3500-7000 are provided with appropriate accommodation closer to work opportunities in the process improving economic conditions,” Sexwale said.

The project set a good example of the human settlements' social housing strategy to deracialise and transform the inner cities, revitalise strategic nodes of development and to address economic, social and spatial dysfunctionalities.

“We want to revitalise and transform our inner cities by creating housing opportunities and giving a chance to people who would otherwise be overlooked by banks for mortgage bonds while not qualifying for the subsidised houses.

“We are also saying in areas where we can let us go high-rise instead of going wide on the ground.

“This means we don't have to wait for vast lands to be unlocked for development,” he said.

The launch was also attended by Western Cape premier Helen Zille, human settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela, and Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde.

- Sapa