Fury over R100m ‘kiss fest’

Opposition parties and their youth organisations say it is shocking that the government – and the taxpayer – carried most of the R100 million costs of last year’s World Festival of Youth and Students.

This comes after the festival’s “close-out report” was tabled in Parliament on Thursday by Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane, whose portfolio includes the organiser, the National Youth Development Agency (Nyda).

The report showed that aside from the presidency’s R29m, four premier’s offices paid R1m, the Mpumalanga premier’s office R1.59m and various municipalities jointly contributed over R166 000 (See boxes).

Freedom Front Plus youth spokesman Wouter Wessels said the organisation would study the report thoroughly, but the cost seemed too high, while the benefit was “definitely not worth” R100m.

“It is unacceptable that more than R60m is generated from taxpayers’ money while we are in a situation in South Africa where funds must be made available for service delivery and poverty alleviation.

“It is irresponsible of the government to commit that kind of money,” he said. “The Nyda has a mandate to develop South African youth, not international delegates.”

Cope youth president Nqaba Bhanga said millions of rand had been spent on a conference that was a logistical nightmare, and was referred to as a “kiss fest” due to the large number of participants spotted kissing each other, and sleeping.

“We have many more challenges than hosting a conference that doesn’t even leave a legacy on the streets of Khayelitsha, Thokoza, Umlazi… What was discussed? Imperialism. (But) youth want jobs, youth want funding for education, youth want skills.”

Independent Democrats MP Lance Greyling said it was “absolutely astounding” how use had been made of every sphere of government. “It’s a clear indication of the priorities of this government – and that’s not youth development,” he said. “Clearly political pressure came from the ANC Youth League to force various spheres of government to fund this festival.”

DA parliamentary leader Athol Trollip said the money should have been better spent.

“Young South Africans are being adversely affected by the slow progress successive ANC administrations have made in improving access to opportunity.

“Rather than devoting more than R100m to host a totalitarian youth event that celebrated Fidel Castro, debated outdated economic policies and conducted mock hearings in an ‘anti-imperialist court’, this government should be devoting its time, energy and political will to addressing the crisis of poverty and unemployment.”

The Nyda was clearly aware of the potential fall-out from the nine-day festival in Pretoria under the theme “Let’s defeat imperialism for a world of peace, solidarity and social transformation”.

“It must be noted that due to the interest the festival drew from stakeholders in South Africa, including the media and political parties, greater attention was paid when processing payments,” the report said.

A public outcry followed news that the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund had provided R40m within a very short time, while many charities waited for years for significantly less funding, and the presidency R29m.

The report also reflected a total outstanding amount of R17.8m, which it said would be reflected as a deficit until the outstanding commitments were collected from, among others, “a few provincial governments and national government departments”.

Two service providers are still owed R2.37m.

WHO CHIPPED IN?

* National Government

Presidency: R29m

Arts and Culture Department: R3m

Communications Department: R1.89m

* Provincial Government

Premiers’ offices of Free State, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Limpopo: R1m each

Premier’s office of Mpumalanga: R1.59m

* Local government

Chris Hani District Municipality: R52 000

Cape Winelands, Breede Valley, Knysna, Bitou and Hessequa municipalities: R13 600 each

Oudtshoorn municipality: R12 000

Makhuduthamaga municipality: R10 400

Overberg municipality: R9 600

Beaufort West: R1 600

Batataise municipality: R2 500

* Other

National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund Board: R40m

Delegates’ registration fees: R2.345m

Namibia Youth Council: R191 400

WHERE DID THE MONEY GO?

Catering: R29.9m (R3m for delegates’ breakfasts at the Tshwane University of Technology; Tshwane Events Centre R26.8m)

Travel and accommodation: R24.5m

Event management: R14.08m

Translation services R3.6m

Entertainment and artists: R9.4m

Festival package (T-shirts, caps, branded bags, billboards and banners etc): R8.34m

Stipends and accommodation for 1 200 volunteers: R3.36m

FESTIVAL IN NUMBERS:

15 000 delegates from 126 countries

Tshwane University of Technology provided accommodation at R125 per person and breakfast at R30 per person per day, lunch and dinner cost R50 per meal per person

Nine days from December 13-21, 2010

Two media conferences, 12 media statements and opinion pieces, over 10 radio and TV interviews during the festival

Three media conferences, five media releases, 10 media inquiries and over 30 radio and TV interviews facilitated in the run-up to the festival.- IOL

‘Scrap loan to Swazi hyena’

THE ROW over South Africa’s financial aid to Swaziland has escalated, with the National Union of Metalworkers calling for the withdrawal or suspension of the R2.4 billion loan.

Numsa spokesman Castro Ngobese said yesterday that the bailout for King Mswati was “a direct assault on our solidarity efforts to free and liberate the people of Swaziland from this hyena’s tyranny”.

The loan has conditions attached, including that Swaziland implement fiscal and other reforms required by the International Monetary Fund.

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s assurance that the Swazi government would be forced into “confidence-building measures”, guided by an agreement that promoted democracy, human rights and the rule of law, failed to satisfy Cosatu and its affiliates.

Ngobese said Numsa wanted the government to withdraw the loan until Mswati introduced democratic reforms, including the unbanning of political parties, the release of political prisoners and a commitment to free and fair elections.

The Swaziland Soldarity Network said the loan conditions were “vague and empty but nice-sounding words”.

Gordhan had been “very clear” on the repayment of the loan, said spokesman Lucky Lukhele, but everything else was “hot air”.

- Cape Argus

Gugs Backyarders Claim They've Been Scammed

CAPE TOWN - AFTER a decade of struggling for houses of their own, Gugulethu backyarders allege that the chairperson of a housing project they established has conned them out of hundreds of thousands of rands and replaced their names on the beneficiary list with those of her family and friends.

The 52 backyarders are part of an initial group of 300 backyarders who started putting their savings together in 2001 in order to obtain houses in a People's Housing Project.

The group of 300, who initially called themselves the Gugulethu RDP Housing Project, appointed Pumla Dlokolo as chairperson and approached the Provincial Housing Department with their savings in 2006.

Dlokolo had told them that R2500 was required for a two-room house, and up to R5 000 for a larger house.

Upon their submission to the Housing Department, under MEC Richard Dyantyi at the time, erven were obtained in Eerste Rivier and a 600-unit housing project, named the Our Pride Housing Project, was given the go-ahead.

It was completed in 2010, with an official handover to beneficiaries having occurred in December last year.

However, 52 of the original 300 Gugulethu Backyarders have still not received houses.

It has also emerged that the Housing Department never required money from beneficiaries to be paid over.

Housing MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela's spokesperson Bruce Oom last week said: "The beneficiaries did not have to pay the department a fee to be a part of the project".

Oom said "beneficiaries do not pay towards the houses," except "that beneficiaries should contribute 'sweat equity' or play a part in the building of the houses.

Oom confirmed that no money had been received from Dlokolo.

Yet coordinator of the group of 52 calling themselves the Gugulethu Concerned Backyarders, Pamela Lefane, said she has poured over R5 000 in savings into the project and has nothing to show for it.

Lefane said those who got involved in the PHP project at its inception in 2001 paid R2500 in order to receive a two-bedroom house in, and paid up to R5 000 for a larger home.

Yet the 52 backyarders say they have never received any money back from Dlokolo.

Additionally, Gugulethu Concerned Backyarders said Dlokolo strong-armed them out of the project despite them having paid over their money.

Nocekisani Phangalele, 43, said she joined the Gugulethu RDP Housing Project in 2001 hoping that she would own a house in the future.

But Phangalele said she was kicked out of the project by Dlokolo on the grounds that she failed to attend meetings.

She said she has a large family and so paid in R5000 to receive a larger house, but was kicked out of the project a "few months" before the handing over of the houses in December last year.

She said she believes Dlokolo sold the house that was supposed to be hers.

"I want my money back if I am not going to get the house I deserve," she said.

The backyarders believe Dlokolo has also replaced their names on the beneficiary list with those of friends and family who are now living in the Our Pride Housing Project, and is selling vacant houses and renting out others for R1 000 a month.

Dlokolo admitted that a total of seven of her family and children had benefited from the Our Pride Housing Project but said they had applied just like everyone else.

"They (the children) applied on their own and they received houses. I would not have stopped them when they felt like applying. They have ID's and it is in their constitutional right to apply for these houses."

Dlokolo said she is subject to intimidations and insults from the backyarders.

Asked why were the complaining backyarders not part of the beneficiary list, Dlokolo said "they were expelled from the project because they failed to adhere to the constitution of the organisation. We pleaded with them many times and then we decided to expel them."

Asked why she took the money from the beneficiaries, Dlokolo said "I am giving the money back to the people and most of them have received their money".

"I was taking the money so that it may be easy for people who needed bigger house or extend their houses," said Dlokolo.

Oom said Madikizela was aware that original beneficiaries had not received houses and the department was "looking at different options in order to accommodate the original beneficiaries".

But this is yet to happen "the department needs to follow correct procedures in finding solutions".

The Department was also "aware that many people were unfairly removed as beneficiaries for not attending meetings. Minister Madikizela is personally aware of the issue, and has instructed that the original beneficiaries need to be accommodated.

"In order to be accommodated, the beneficiaries will need to provide authenticated proof that they were on the original beneficiary list," said Oom.

He said the department recognizes "there have been some difficulties in implementing PHP projects" and one of their approaches to mitigate these issues is the introduction of Professional Resource Teams to assist in the managing of the housing projects.

- allAfrica

Human Settlements Minister becomes Arts and Culture Minister

The People's Republic of China is planning to set up its Chinese Cultural Centre in South Africa as an exchange platform for cultural development with South Africa.

Chinese Vice Minister of Culture, Zhao Shaohua, made the announcement shortly before signing a programme of Cooperation with acting Arts and Culture Minister, Tokyo Sexwale, in Pretoria on Tuesday.

"The cultural relations between South Africa and China are flourishing. Culture knows no boundaries, and I was impressed by the dance of South African cultural groups during our Shanghai World Expo last year.

"To further cement our cultural relations, we will be establishing the Chinese Cultural Centre in South Africa very soon make the public aware of Chinese culture, as well as making greater contributions to China-South Africa cultural relations.

"We both have a very long history and we believe that through this Cultural Centre, we exchange our cultural diversity," Shaohua said.

Shaohua, who was speaking via a translator, also pledged 300 000 Chinese Yuan to develop cultural activities in South Africa, but did not give a time frame as to when this will happen.

Sexwale said the agreement also looked at the possibilities of translation of Chinese books into South African languages and South African languages into the Chinese language.

"This agreement will go a long way in extended our cultural relations in arts, film, books, language and culture as well as exhibition of our cultural dancers together.

"Through my observation, I've learnt that most foreign countries, including Germany and France, have language institutes in South Africa, so I want to propose that you set up your Chinese language institute as well," said Sexwale.

The Human Settlements Minister, who also described China as the second biggest economic powerhouse in the world, said through the agreement, they will encourage their artists to visits each other.

Bilateral relations between South Africa and the People's Republic of China reached a new high point in 2009/10.

By the end of 2009, the Department of Trade and Industry announced that China had become South Africa's largest trading partner, with total trade amounting to approximately R120 billion.

During the state visit by President Jacob Zuma to China last year, companies and organisations from China and South Africa signed over a dozen cooperative documents at a business forum.

The documents involve projects in areas such as solar power, mining, telecommunications, insurance and finance.

A 240 million euro (about $300 million) loan agreement between South African mobile phone operator Cell C and China Development Bank was included in the deals.

The announcements also included the acquisition by South Africa's Discovery Health of a stake in Ping An Health Insurance, a subsidiary of China's second largest Insurer, the Ping An Insurance Group.

December 2007 marked 10 years since the official establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. - BuaNews

Speculation rife in cause of fire

INLSA

Vygieskraal informal settlement residents move past the fire that destroyed 70 homes and left 300 people homeless.

Police are awaiting a report from fire department investigators to determine the cause of the fire that destroyed 70 shacks and left at least 300 people homeless in an Athlone informal settlement. No fatalities were reported.

Speculation was rife among residents as to where the fire had started as conflicting stories spread through the Vygieskraal informal settlement yesterday.

Residents hurriedly moved their belongings to the perimeter of the settlement – piles of mattresses, blankets, clothing, cupboards and kitchen utensils were stacked up near the Vygieskraal canal which runs along the settlement.

Some residents blamed an unidentified man for recklessly smoking drugs, falling asleep and setting the settlement alight.

“We also hear that a woman who had made a pot of food while under the influence set her shack alight when the pot fell,” said a police officer at the scene.

“But it’s all speculation and we still need to confirm,” he said.

Other residents said that the fire had started somewhere near the centre of the settlement, while others said it started “at the back” of the settlement closer to the avenues.

Resident Henna Goliath said that the fire had “definitely started at the back”.

Goliath and her two young grandchildren were visiting her friend “at the back of the settlement,” when the fire started.

She hurried home to save her belongings and watched as an electric pole which had caught alight fell on her home.

“Everything is gone, everything. My fridge, my clothes my ID and clinic cards – it’s all gone,” she said.

When the Cape Argus arrived at the scene, Goliath was shouting at a man whom some residents were beating for allegedly stealing some of the residents’ possessions amidst the commotion.

Another man was accused of stealing electricity cables.

“I don’t know why they are stealing, they can see people are heartbroken and they still steal,” she said.

Last night, provincial police spokesman November Filander, confirmed that police were waiting for fire investigators’ reports before they would decide on whether to open a case docket of arson or an inquest docket.

Late yesterday he said that no people were reported to be missing and that firefighters were combing the area.

Cape Town Fire Service’s Theo Layne said they were dispatched to Athlone at about 5.19pm and contained the fire soon after 7pm yesterday.

Eight fire engines, four water tankers and about 52 personnel were dispatched.

“It was very difficult at first to access the area, but we got our vehicles through the shacks,” he said.

EMS spokeswoman Keri Davids said two men were treated at the scene. The first man appeared to have been assaulted, said Davids. He was treated in the ambulance and then left.

A second man, who escaped a burning shack, had abrasions to his arms and hands. Once treated, he refused to be taken to hospital, said Davids.

Last night, displaced residents stayed with family and friends.

The city’s housing department was expected to provide them with starter kits to rebuild their shacks this morning, while disaster management would provide food and blankets to those affected, said the city’s disaster management spokeswoman, Charlotte Powell.

- Cape Argus

Housing MEC calls for the protection of councillors under threat

Gauteng will protect councillors whose lives are under threat from ­disgruntled communities and ­criminals.

So says the MEC of local government and housing, Humphrey Mmemezi, who has vowed this province will not be like Mpumalanga or Durban where politicians are regularly killed.

His promise came in the wake of attacks on homes of two councillors at Chiawelo in Soweto and the slaying of another in KwaZulu-Natal. Councillors in Eden Park have also allegedly received threats because of the government stance to evict illegal occupants of RDP houses.

Mmemezi wants councillors who are under threat in Gauteng to be protected by bodyguards.

“There are a few ­councillors who are operating under threat and they must be protected,” he said.

“It is horrifying that some councillors who have been killed in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal had received threats but were not protected.”

The MEC said he was not calling for permanent or ongoing security for councillors but wanted protection if and when the need arose.

“Here in Gauteng, since we lead in everything, we are also going to be number one in protecting our ­councillors by being proactive,” ­Mmemezi said.

“We are talking about providing security to less than 10% of our 1105 councillors in Gauteng who are working under threat.”

On paying for the security, ­Mmemezi said municipalities should work with the security cluster as his ­department had no intention of providing the budget for councillor protection.

“Municipalities have access to VIP protection units and we want to call on them to provide security for vulnerable councillors if necessary.”

Mmemezi said councillors were soft targets for criminals.

“They do not attack me or the Minister of Human Settlements, Tokyo Sexwale, yet they will target councillors when a dispute about housing arises.”

Mmemezi called on police to ­punish those who attacked councillors and for communities and government to ­condemn the attacks.

“Criminals must not touch my councillors. They are doing a good job and everyone must condemn any attacks on them,” he said.

Mmemezi said it was the ­responsibility of the government to protect every ­citizen, especially former councillors whose lives were in constant danger because of the work they had done for the ­government.

- The New Age

Demolition sparks protests in Dunoon

---

INLSA

Dunoon residents burn furniture after the City of Cape Town dismantled a neighbour s extension he had built on his premises.

Dunoon residents took to the streets to burn tyres and furniture to vent their fury at the City of Cape Town for dismantling a structure erected in a backyard in the area.

Yesterday Alex Dlamini watched as about 100 of his neighbours sang and toyi-toyied outside his home in West Beach Four, Dunoon, where they burnt piles of litter, broken furniture and tyres.

Dlamini’s brick house is between the Itando Yamahlubi herbalist home and Dr Moshaba’s Spaza Shop on Usasazo Street.

This week he tried to add a wood and iron structure to the front of the house, but it was dismantled twice in three days by the city because it was on city-owned land.

“They (the city) are telling me this is not my land, but everybody’s doing it,” Dlamini said.

City spokeswoman Kylie Hatton confirmed that the anti-land invasion unit had demolished Dlamini’s structure twice.

“In terms of council policy, he is not allowed to construct on that land,” she said.

Dlamini, who believes a jealous neighbour tipped off authorities, said he could not understand why the city did not approach others who had extended their homes because “everybody around here is doing it”.

Yesterday police were called in to monitor the crowd, which had cordoned off the area with bright orange Eskom tape with the words “Danger, Gevaar” printed on it.

Dlamini first built the structure on Tuesday.

He said he had spent about R4 000 building it. That day he was told by city officials that the structure was “illegal” because it had been built on council property.

Dlamini said that on Wednesday, while discussing the matter with his local councillor, the anti-land invasion unit moved in and dismantled the structure.

With the help of some residents he rebuilt it on Wednesday evening.

However, on Thursday morning the unit returned and dismantled his structure again.

“All I want to do is extend my home like everyone else,” Dlamini said.

The community then protested by blocking off the road.

- Pretoria News

Eco-living and Home Tour

Back by popular demand, Salt Spring’s Eco-Living and Home Tour returns Sunday, Aug.7.

Press material explains that in addition to showcasing innovative island homes, the tour includes ecological lifestyles, along with appropriate technologies that support eco-friendly living.

“The tour includes some of Salt Spring’s best examples of green building, energy efficiency, water conservation, food production and renewable energy,” the release states.

This year’s focus is on smaller homes and retrofits. Alan Martin will show off a beautiful, fully functioning 126-square-foot mobile home built following the plans available at Tumbleweed Tiny Houses.

Dr. John Christian will show his new compact 800-square-foot earth-sheltered studio/office with living roof and gardens.

Steve Abbott, an overseas consultant with major aid organizations, will guide people through the energy-saving features he has retrofitted into his house and show how to make a stand-alone foot-powered washbasin and a simple air-to-air heat exchanger.

Natural building pioneer Robert Laporte and architect Paula Baker-Laporte, authors of EcoNest and Prescriptions for a Healthy House, will show how to make walls of wood chips, straw and clay and other features of their EcoNest design.

Andrew Haigh will show his off-the-grid hemp bale house and teach how easy it is to make earthen plaster.

Marsh Heinekey, former BCIT Living Roof program director, will give a demonstration of living-roof technologies. Gardening and permaculture experts will share information in their organic food gardens — and much more.

This year only houses in the northern half of the island are being showcased to reduce the tour’s carbon footprint.

Patrons of the tour are encouraged to bike, bus and carpool. Carpoolers can meet on the deck between TJ Beans and Salt Spring Books between 9 and 10 a.m. to carpool with others.

Tickets are on sale now at Salt Spring Books with an early bird price of $25 until July 31. Full price tickets are $30.

The 2011 event is an initiative of the Salt Spring Community Energy Strategy and is sponsored by the Earth Festival Society, Transition Salt Spring, I-SEA, Salt Spring Books, Windsor Plywood, Uptown Pharmasave and Elements Home Design.

For more information, visit saltspringenergystrategy

N2 Boystown Gateway

The Western Cape Department of Human Settlements will this week, beginning 25 July 2011, make an application to the High Court for a restraining order prohibiting specific members of the Boys Town Project Steering Committee, as well as any other individuals making common cause with them, from having any contact with the contractor or from interfering with the contractor and any other operations on the Boys Town Housing development site in Crossroads, Cape Town. Anybody disobeying the restraining order will be arrested and prosecuted.

This restraining order has been initiated in response to incidents where the ward councillor, members of the Boys Town Project Steering Committee, as well as other individuals, have threatened the contractor and ordered them to stop work. Nobody has authority to interfere with and stop construction.

The Boys Town Project Steering Committee has failed its mandate. According to the terms of reference of the Social Compact agreement between the Housing Development Agency and the Boys Town Project Steering Committee, the committee is responsible for conflict resolution, and for best serving the interests of the community. However, the committee has been responsible for creating conflict, and for serving the interests of select individuals. I have had multiple meetings with the Boys Town Project Steering Committee, and have done everything reasonably within my capacity to work with them, yet it has been repeatedly clear that they are serving their own interests, and not the interests of the community who elected them.

In terms of my mandate as Provincial Minister of Human Settlements and Section 8.6 of the Social Compact agreement, I am instructing that the committee be disbanded for not fulfilling its responsibilities. The project will continue with community involvement in the form of public meetings and leaflet drops to individual households to keep them informed of progress. I strongly condemn any actions which prevent service delivery. It is my mandate as Provincial Minister of Human Settlements to ensure the accelerated delivery of housing opportunities to people who need them. I will not allow political interference and local power games, driven by individuals with personal agendas, to get in the way. Legal action is a final resort once all other options have been exhausted, yet it's an option that I can, and will use, to ensure that service delivery is continued.

I refuse to let this project be sabotaged any further. It has been marred by infighting for the past eight years with minimal progress. Work on the Boys Town Housing Project will continue, and the first beneficiaries will soon receive their houses. The Boys Town Housing Project is part of the N2 Gateway Project and, when completed, it will yield 1,365 units.

- Cape Gateway

Du Noon residents demand electricity

Every month Kockjeu Mpiyake pays about R300 in order to run electricity from an illegal connection to a nearby RDP house.

Mpiyake, who lives in Ekuphumleni informal settlement in Du Noon, uses it to lighting and to power his television and radio, but cannot use other electrical appliances such as a washing machine, electric heater or stove.

The RDP house he is illegally connected to supplies electricity to ten other shacks, resulting in frequent power cuts due to overloading.

Having been in this situation for nine years, 61-year-old Mpiyake, who has nine children and two wives, has had enough.

He joined over 100 other residents in a march to the Eskom office in Table View on Thursday morning to protest against the lack of electricity supply to their area.

Carrying knobkieries and placards stating “No more waiting. We want electricity”, the residents gave Eskom officials an ultimatum to install electricity in their area within a week or they would uproot and burn electricity poles in the township.

Mpiyake said what angered the residents was that Eskom had promised to supply electricity to the informal settlement in 2009 but had not honoured their promise.

“People use candles and paraffin stoves and when they are drunk they leave the candle and the stove burning which result in shack fires,” said Mpiyake.

Nobongile, Mfuniseli, 55, said she had been paying about R300 a month for electricity simply to light her shack.

Mfuniseli said she had to use a paraffin stove for cooking and heating, resulting in a persistent cough from the fumes.

She said if she could afford to pay for illegal electricity she could afford to pay for legal electricity meter.

Bruce Jongile, 29, the constant danger of shack fires due to illegal connections and the use of paraffin stoves meant residents were afraid to buy goods to improve their standard of living as there was always a chance they would lose everything in a fire.

Community leader Chris Matomera said Eskom had promised to electrify their informal settlement in 2009 and undertaken to engage with residents on a monthly basis, but this had not happened.

Eskom Western Cape spokesperson Jolene Henn said the informal settlement was on Eskom’s priority list and would be electrified this year.

Henn said funds were available in their 2011/12 budget to be used for this purpose.

“You can’t just go into an area and put a line in. We explained to them how the process works and it takes some time. Funds are available for electrification of the area,” said Henn

She said electricity would be provided to 300 households by the end of the current financial year.

– West Cape News

Table Cape Hemp house building project.

The Advocate Hemp House Multimedia

Sexwale hits back at Malema

HUMAN Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale yesterday hit back at ANC Youth League president Julius Malema over his repeated calls for land redistribution, saying his department was playing a large role in giving land back to the people.

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Malema has made repeated calls for land to be redistributed - by force and without compensation if necessary.

In his address at the Vision 2030 youth summit in Durban yesterday, Sexwale said since 1994, about three million houses had been built by the government, particularly for the poorest of the poor, which was the "best strategy of land redistribution through human settlement and at the same time accelerating housing opportunities".

"As a result the amount of land parcelled away together with the housing units is to the tune of more than 76000 hectares or equivalent to 800 square kilometres. That is land distribution and our department is actively involved because the construction of these houses do not happen in a vacuum, you can't build a house in air but on land," Sexwale said.

"When we build a house we bring along bulk infrastructure as well and we give people plots because when you own a house, you own a plot and that is land redistribution."

He said land distribution did not mean a "scenario in which a man would stand tall and point to vacant land and say this is my land from here to there".

"It makes sense for Malema to say we need to distribute land, but I hope this loud-mouth young man is not talking about a situation where land is lying unused and someone is just happy to boast about it."

ANCYL general secretary Sindiso Magaqa said the youth league would only comment on what Sexwale said "once it was in possession of the full details".

"We will have to conduct an investigation before commenting," said Magaqa.

- Sowetan

12,5m South Africans still need housing - Tokyo Sexwale

Tokyo Sexwale

21 July 2011

Human settlements minister says there is a backlog of 2,1m units

Statement by Human Settlements Minister, Mr Tokyo Sexwale during Human Settlements Vision 2030 Youth Summit, Durban

21 Jul 2011

Background

It is noteworthy to state the following from the onset: It has long become universally accepted that the three most basic needs which people in our world must enjoy are food, clothing, and shelter.

In a nutshell, this Human Settlements: Vision 2030 Youth Summit, here in the wonderful city of Durban, is essentially about the ever so critical dimension of shelter - appropriate, affordable and good quality shelter.

The road to this summit commenced with a Youth Round Table discussion in Johannesburg during February 2011. There, leaders of various youth organisations in our country converged to deliberate upon youth involvement and participation in Human Settlements: Vision 2030 driven by the Ministry of Human Settlements.

The genesis of the concept: Human Settlements

The concept of Human Settlements, beyond housing, is largely globally associated with the 1976 United Nations Habitat conference held in Vancouver, Canada. This concept was later put on the agenda of United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in 2002.

In his State of the Nation address in 2009 President Zuma put it thus:

"As part of social infrastructure development we will provide suitably located and affordable housing and a decent human settlement... a human settlement is not just about building houses. It is about transforming our cities and towns and building cohesive, sustainable and caring communities with closer access to work and social amenities, including sports and recreation facilities."

However, it is remarkable that long before the United Nations Vancouver conference of 1976, the people of our country, proclaimed in the world acclaimed Freedom Charter of 1955: "There shall be Houses, Security and Comfort".

All people shall have the right to live where they choose, be decently housed, and to bring up their families in comfort and security; unused housing space to be made available to the people; rent and prices shall be lowered, ... slums shall be demolished, and new suburbs built where all have transport, roads, lighting, playing fields, crèches and social centres."

In this regard the Ministry and National Department of Human Settlements are the ones tasked, on behalf of government, with the championing and implementation of the strategy around Human Settlements - from concept to reality.

In essence we say where we live must also be where we can learn; where we live must also be in the proximity of where we can leisure; we say where we stay should also be where we can play, where we can pray and so on.

Key elements of Human Settlements: Vision 2030

• The total eradication of the backlog of plus 2.1 million housing units which translates into approximately 12.5 million people.
• The outlay of the Human Settlements budget as opposed to that of mere housing in order to create more employment opportunities and thus contribute to increased economic growth and development via the roll out of bulk infrastructure such as sanitation, water and so on.
• The creation of integrated community settlements encompassing facilities and amenities like schools, hospitals, places of worship, sporting facilities and most importantly commercial and industrial areas within reasonable distances from residential areas.
• The utilisation of densification and inner-city high rise strategies to harness economies of scale and thus house more people per square metre.
• The encouragement and facilitation of People's Housing Process where residents can construct their own houses thereby making them less dependent on government. Ours is a developmental and not a welfare state.
• The total eradication of ghettos including the potentially explosive issue of backyard dwellers many of whom have been in dire straits long before those who are recent land invaders.
• To solicit a greater buy-in by the corporate sector as a partner of government, labour and community stakeholders in campaigns such as the "Each-One-Settle-One" due to be launched later this year.

Youth in action around Human Settlements

When all is said and done for the purpose of this Summit the vital question of the day is not that of Human Settlements in general but that of Youth In Action Around Human Settlements. It is about the involvement and participation of the youth in taking forward the concept of Human Settlements: Vision 2030.

In this regard during our interaction with members of Parliament last year I stated the following:

"In crafting our vision, (of Human Settlements 2030) we are mindful that a child born today will be 20 years old by 2030, and will need somewhere to live. We should be planning for the needs of that future adult. To succeed, Human Settlements vision 2030 must be (essentially) for and by the youth - it is about their own future homes, apartments, bachelor's flats and so on; it is about the future rural settlements and urban centres: it is about future towns and cities."

This now brings us to the burning questions which this, your summit, needs to carefully deliberate upon.

1. How can Human Settlements vision 2030 be more enhanced and materialised?

2. How best can residential de-racialisation be achieved to erase the negative impacts of apartheid spatial planning? This refers to the yawning gap between Johannesburg and Soweto, Durban and Umlazi, Pretoria and Mamelodi, Cape Town and Khayelitsha and so on.

3. Since 1994 to date approximately 3 million housing units have been distributed to people in our society - particularly the poorest of the poor. Consequently the amount of land parceled away together with these housing units is to the tune of more than 76 000 hectares! Or the equivalent of 800 square kilometers. Thus how best can the strategy of land redistribution through Human Settlements be enhanced at the same time as housing opportunities are accelerated?

4. To what extent can the role of the financial services - banks and other financial institutions - be galvanised towards the increased mobilisation of finance in order to improve the development of the residential property market?

5. With land being a scarce and finite natural resource how can the mix of the different housing typologies be managed whilst improving the quality of life of the people to enhance human dignity? For example products can range from single housing units, flats, and duplexes, to more complex densification and high rise inner city housing structures.

6. The future is fraught with uncertainties around climate change. What research and development of green technologies should be undertaken towards the production or improvement of human settlements products that will be sensitive and responsive to challenges of climate change?

7. How can the current negative rural to urban migration be stemmed plus the eradication of slums, mekhukhu, ghettos, amatshotshombe and imijondolo towards the creation of more and better Human Settlements in the urban areas as well asin the country side?

8. What opportunities are available for youth development, skills enhancement and sustainable job creation within the property market and the construction sector? (There are legal services, engineering, quantity surveying, product design, architectural sciences, banking and finance including basic skills like plumbing, brick lying, painting, fitting, electrification and so on).

9. What is the process towards home ownership, how does one access a government grant if needs be, how does one access housing loan finance, bonds mortgages and so on? How can the dissemination of information around housing and home ownership be improved for the benefit of young persons who are new entrants in the housing market?

10. These and other questions including streamlining of government mandates, integration and coordination of national departments, better interaction between the three spheres of government, greater involvement of the corporate sector with their profits and labour unions with their pension funds, will require answers to enhance social justice as well as economic democracy.

There are many uncertainties lying ahead in the future of our young people. The world is in the throes of unendingconflicts and tensions, with different parts experiencing all manner of instabilities which poses a threat to our own society. One such threat is the steadily increasing instability of the global economy.

Although our country avoided a direct hit from the devastating effects of the last global economic recession, all indications are that the next one may not pass us over. The increasing likelihood of the default of sovereign debts looming over several developed nations can have devastating effects upon the developing economies such as ours.

Therefore this summit needs to be seen as an opportunity, as a point of entry into a much broader discussion around our national discourse. Human Settlements is merely a door into such a discussion which would require more than two days.

This youth summit coincides with the week in which the entire world and our country celebrated the birth day of our iconic and emblematic leader - the founding father of our nation - Madiba, who has said "it is in our hands to make ours a better world"

Let us take these words of wisdom to heart in our exchanges during this summit. There is no magic wand tocreate the future... the future can only be a product of well thought-out creative ideas based on real material conditions. We are confident that this summit will go some way in rising to this challenge.

When we crafted Human Settlements Vision 2030 which is located within the environment of our country's total national developmental space, we did so fully aware that this vision is not futuristic. It is realisable and can be concretised. The task of this summit is for you the youth of our country, the heirs of the future, to chart your own path into that future to make this vision your own reality.

Best wishes for a successful summit.

I thank you.

Issued by the Department of Human Settlements, July 21 2011

Philippi electricity protest rages on

Residents of a Philippi informal settlement and police have clashed again as protests over electricity supply entered their third day.

Three police Nyalas cordoned off the corner of New Eisleben and Sheffield roads yesterday when protests, which started on Tuesday, flared up again in Siyahlala.

Residents set containers on fire and used them to block off sections of Sheffield Road, while teenagers and children lined the road, armed with rocks, watching for police.

Standing at a trench made by residents who had dug up a section of road, Tumeka Xoyana, 29, said they had no option but to protest because the area had been without electricity for more than 10 years. “We have to steal electricity because the government doesn’t want to give it to us,” said Xoyana.

Ezile Cele, 24, said police had fired rubber bullets and tear gas at them: “Why can’t they give us a valid reason why we can’t get electricity?”

She said residents were angered that the area had been “skipped” while neighbouring areas had received electricity.

Residents had made “countless” requests to their Ward 34 councillor and the municipality for electricity, she said.

The councillor had told residents they would not receive supply because of the illegal connections in the area.

Provincial police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel André Traut said that on two occasions during the protest, SAPS members had been duty-bound to take action against riotous crowds and gas cartridges were discharged.

Nobody had been injured and no arrests had been made, and police would remain in the area to monitor the situation.

City spokeswoman Kylie Hatton said the settlement was in a road reserve and that it was council policy not to create electrical networks in road reserves. “The city is, however, investigating various options, but I cannot provide details before everything has been investigated,” she said.

- Cape Argus