National Assembly - 23 May 2000
TUESDAY, 23 MAY 2000 __
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
____
The House met at 14:02.
The Speaker took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.
ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS - see col 000.
NOTICES OF MOTION
Dr Z P JORDAN: Madam Speaker, I give notice that at the next sitting of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC:
That the House -
(1) notes with concern media reports of political violence and intimidation in Zimbabwe; (2) condemns the loss of life, brutality and thuggery;
(3) acknowledges that such conditions severely compromise the possibility of a free, fair and credible election; and
(4) calls on all role-players in Zimbabwe to leave no stone unturned to ensure a free and fair election that will be a credit to that country and to our continent.
[Applause.]
Dr J T DELPORT: Madam Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the DP:
That the House -
(1) notes the racial attack by ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama on the judiciary, accusing certain judges of a racial bias in their sentencing;
(2) further notes the condemnation of these remarks by the Chief Justice and the President of the Constitutional Court;
(3) unequivocally condemns the ANC for its irresponsibility and failure to respect the independence of the judiciary; and
(4) calls on the -
(a) Government to clarify its position on this matter and to take
steps to ensure that the rule of law is not undermined in South
Africa; and
(b) ANC to stop its persistent habit of blaming its own failings on
racism.
[Interjections.] [Applause.]
Ms S C VOS: Madam Speaker, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move:
That the House -
(1) notes that highly dangerous inmates of Valkenberg Hospital in the Western Cape escaped last week and that at least three are said still to be at large;
(2) further notes that although citizens were warned by authorities that the behaviour of these people posed a serious threat to society, to date no photographs have been released of these men to assist in recognising and apprehending them;
(3) deplores the fact that many thousands of young university students, especially women, reside near the institution from which these rapists and murderers escaped and could be in mortal danger;
(4) calls on the authorities responsible to explain why, many days after the event, no photographs of these people have been made available for publication to assist in their identification and apprehension and, equally, for the protection of citizens; and
(5) applauds the actions of police officers in the arrest of the majority of these escapees.
Mr J H MOMBERG: Madam Speaker, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC:
That the House -
(1) notes that President Mbeki had to hitch a lift across the Atlantic to ensure that his official visit to the United States of America remained on schedule;
(2) acknowledges -
(a) that the Department of Defence embarked on a process to replace
the VIP transport, including the presidential aircraft, as part
of the Defence Review which was unanimously approved by the
Joint Standing Committee on Defence in 1998 and by all parties,
including the DP; and
(b) statements made by Mr Tony Blair and Mr Bill Clinton in
appreciation of the role being played by the President in
resolving problems engulfing Southern Africa and the rest of the
African continent; and
(3) calls on the DP to stop their hypocrisy and to put the interests of South Africans and the safety of the President first rather than to score cheap political points.
[Interjections.] [Applause.]
Mnr A H NEL: Mevrou die Speaker, ek gee hiermee kennis dat ek op die volgende sittingsdag namens die Nuwe NP sal voorstel:
Dat die Huis -
(1) kennis neem -
(a) van die ondersoek deur dr Stephen Gelb vir die Kabinet oor die
redes waarom Suid-Afrikaanse vervaardigers en diensverskaffers
traag is om meer geld in Suid-Afrika te belê;
(b) dat die redes wat aangevoer word hoë rentekoerse, misdaad,
arbeidswetgewing en die ekonomiese klimaat is; en
(c) dat buitelanders wat hier wil belê ook deur hierdie faktore
beïnvloed sal word;
(2) versoek dat die Regering erken dat dié probleme bestaan; en
(3) eis dat die Regering daadwerklike stappe sal doen om -
(a) bestendige rentekoerse te handhaaf;
(b) misdaad doeltreffend te bestry; en
(c) arbeidswetgewing deur 'n onafhanklike instansie te laat
ondersoek om dit meer markgerig te maak en sodoende die
ekonomiese klimaat te bevorder. (Translation of Afrikaans notice of motion follows.)
[Mr A H NEL: Madam Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day I shall move on behalf of the New NP:
That the House -
(1) notes - (a) the investigation conducted by Dr Stephen Gelb for the Cabinet on the reasons why South African manufacturers and service providers are reluctant to invest more money in South Africa;
(b) that the reasons being advanced are high interest rates, crime,
labour legislation and the economic climate; and
(c) that foreigners who want to invest here will also be influenced
by these factors;
(2) requests Government to concede that these problems exist; and
(3) demands that Government take decisive steps to -
(a) maintain stable interest rates;
(b) combat crime effectively; and
(c) have labour legislation investigated by an independent body in
order to make it more market-orientated and in this way improve
the economic climate.]
Mr M N RAMODIKE: Madam Speaker, I give notice that at the next sitting of the House I will move on behalf of the UDM:
That the House -
(1) notes with dismay and trepidaton a revelation of the misrepresentation of academic credentials by the newly appointed commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services;
(2) is appalled by the fraudulent claim of the commissioner and his adamant statement that his employment had nothing to do with his bogus degree in theology;
(3) is alarmed at the previous appointment of the commissioner as director-general in the office of the Gauteng Premier and his involvement as a member of the team in the Eastern Cape tasked with the transformation and restructuring of the Office of the Premier; and
(4) calls on the Government to conduct an audit of the qualifications of personnel and officials in all Government departments.
[Interjections.]
Mr M M MASALA: Madam Speaker, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC:
That the House -
(1) notes the disappointing effect that the recent floods had on agricultural production in our country, leading to a lower than expected growth rate in the first quarter of this year;
(2) recognises that the resulting decline in agricultural production countered the very positive growth in the wholesale and retail trade, transport, communications, finance, real estate and business services;
(3) recognises that the South African economy is in the process of restructuring to become more competitive in global markets, with resulting growth in manufactured export goods;
(4) commends the Government and the Minister of Finance for the successful management of our economy; and
(5) expresses its confidence that the South African economy will grow at an increasing rate during this year.
[Applause.]
Mr S N SWART: Madam Speaker, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I will move on behalf of the ACDP:
That the House -
(1) notes the recent comments made by Judge Goldstone of the Constitutional Court regarding the need to educate the public on how the Constitution works and what it means to the public;
(2) further notes his suggestion that all proceedings of both the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal should be televised to educate the public in this regard; and
(3) calls on the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to investigate the feasibility of full television coverage of the proceedings of these courts to educate the public on their rights.
[Applause.]
Mnr C AUCAMP: Mevrou die Speaker, ek gee hiermee kennis dat ek op die volgende sittingsdag namens die AEB sal voorstel:
Dat die Huis -
(1) sy teenkanting uitspreek teenoor die voorgestelde verandering van plekname soos Bloemfontein, Tweeling, Kroonstad en Hoopstad in die Vrystaat, met as motivering die volgende:
(a) die verandering van plekname het enorme finansiële implikasies,
soos die verandering van naamborde, padtekens en
rekenaarstelsels, en ons beperkte finansiële bronne kan veel
meer produktief aangewend word om die land se probleme soos
misdaad, vigs, gesondheid en dienstelewering aan te pak;
(b) die proses van naamsverandering selfs van plekke met politiek
neutrale Afrikaanse name trek 'n streep deur alle vroom
praatjies van nasiebou en versoening en die sogenaamde respek
vir die ryke verskeidenheid van ons land se inwoners en hul
geskiedenis;
(c) hierdie proses getuig van 'n totalitêre kulturele imperialisme
waarin die staat die grens tussen die burgerlike en staatlike
samelewing verontrustend oorskry; en
(d) hierdie optrede herinner sterk aan dié van totalitêre Rusland ná
die kommunistiese revolusie; en
(2) die optrede van die Afrikaanse regerings ná die imperialisties gedrewe Tweede Vryheidsoorlog as navolgenswaardige voorbeeld beskou, omdat geen heksejag op tou gesit is teen Engelse plekname nie en daardie name steeds getuig van die rykdom van ons geskiedenis.
[Tussenwerpsels.] (Translation of Afrikaans notice of motion follows.)
[Mr C AUCAMP: Madam Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day I shall move on behalf of the AEB:
That the House -
(1) expresses its opposition to the proposed changing of place names such as Bloemfontein, Tweeling, Kroonstad and Hoopstad in the Free State, with the following as motivation:
(a) the changing of place names has enormous financial implications,
such as the changing of signposts, road signs and computer
systems, and our limited financial resources can be utilised
much more productively to address the country's problems such as
crime, Aids, health and service delivery;
(b) the process of changing names, even of places with politically
neutral Afrikaans names, cancels out all the pious talk about
nation-building and reconciliation and so-called respect for the
rich diversity of our country's inhabitants and their history;
(c) this process attests to a totalitarian cultural imperialism in
which the state crosses the boundary between civil and state
society to an alarming extent; and
(d) this approach is strongly reminiscent of that of totalitarian
Russia after the commnunist revolution; and
(2) regards the actions by the Afrikaans governments after the imperialistically driven Boer War to be worthy of emulation, because a witch-hunt was not launched against English place names and those names still bear testimony to the richness of our history.
[Interjections.]]
Mrs L MALONEY: Madam Speaker, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC:
That the House -
(1) notes -
(a) reports that the director-general of Mpumalanga, Shadreck
Coleman Nyathi, has lied about his citizenship and academic
qualifications; and
(b) that this revelation is the result of an investigation by the
Department of the Public Service and Administration into the
academic qualifications of 71 senior officials in the province;
(2) believes that this investigation is a reflection of the commitment by the ANC-led Government to clean and efficient government; and
(3) commends the department for embarking on this investigation and urges it to act firmly against all those who have falsified their academic qualifications and were employed on the basis of this incorrect information.
[Applause.]
Mrs S V KALYAN: Madam Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the DP:
That the House -
(1) notes that -
(a) in October 1999 President Mbeki stated that his Government would
not take ``the irresponsible step'' of supplying AZT to people
living with HIV/Aids ``until it could be established that the
drug poses no health risk''; and
(b) during meetings with President Clinton in the United States
earlier this week, President Mbeki said that it was ``pure
invention'' that he had ever disputed the efficacy of the Aids
drug AZT; (2) recognises that the lack of clarity on the use of AZT and other Aids
drugs is proving to be another barrier to managing the epidemic
effectively; and
(3) calls on the President to -
(a) stop playing semantic games which sow confusion about the
Government's position on Aids drugs; and
(b) give South Africans a clear message regarding what they can
expect their Government to do about HIV/Aids and the threat it
poses to millions of lives.
[Interjections.] [Applause.]
Mr J H SLABBERT: Madam Speaker, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I will move on behalf of the IFP:
That the House -
(1) notes that - (a) a safe, reliable and affordable mass transport system is necessary for the functioning of any city and economy;
(b) in recent years the fight for turf has seen the taxi industry
resorting to increased violence, putting passengers and other
transport providers in danger and at risk of losing their lives;
and
(c) the unresolved crisis in the Western Cape taxi industry
involving Codeta and Cata clashing with the Golden Arrow Bus
Service is disruptive to ordinary citizens and very damaging to
our tourism industry; and
(2) calls on the national Minister of Transport to use the powers at his disposal for a permanent solution to be secured without further delay.
Ms N G W BOTHA: Madam Speaker, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC:
That the House - (1) notes -
(a) that farmer Willem Odendaal, who has 10 previous convictions, is
to serve one year in jail after he was found guilty of three
charges of assault; and
(b) statements by the prosecutor, Kobus Fivaz, that ``he has no
respect for the law and has shown no regret for what he did'';
(2) believes that Odendaal’s actions are a gross violation of the rights of farmworkers by farmers; and
(3) welcomes this sentence and hopes that it will send a signal to those farmers who continue to abuse farmworkers that such actions are criminal and will not be tolerated in a new South Africa.
[Applause.]
Mrs S M CAMERER: Madam Speaker, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move: That the House notes -
(1) the stern admonishment delivered by the Chief Justice and the President of the Constitutional Court in relation to the attacks by spokespersons of the ANC on the Bench as a result of the judgment of the Supreme Court of Appeal in the Allan Boesak case;
(2) the fact that the ANC spokesperson accused the Appeal Court judges in that case of racial bias;
(3) the fact that the judges believe that such statements undermine the status and credibility of and confidence in the Bench; and
(4) urges the ANC to take the warnings of the two top judges on board and desist from making such statements in future.
[Interjections.]
Dr G W KOORNHOF: Madam Speaker, I give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I will move on behalf of the UDM: That the House -
(1) calls on the Government to develop, as soon as possible, a corruption- measuring instrument or tool that will assist Government to eradicate corruption in the public sector successfully; and
(2) insists that this measuring instrument must primarily focus on -
(a) identifying corruption problem areas in public sector
institutions; and
(b) monitoring progress and successes achieved in fighting
corruption.
BUS ACCIDENT IN EASTERN CAPE
(Draft resolution)
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Madam Speaker, I move without notice:
That the House - (1) notes the accident in the Eastern Cape in which five young boys lost their lives and 50 others were injured;
(2) further notes that this accident again raises the concerns of proper road signage, road maintenance and the roadworthiness of buses used for public transportation;
(3) recognises the need for the national and provincial transport departments to work together to ensure safety improvements on all major roads in the Eastern Cape;
(4) calls on the provincial transport department to immediately investigate the roadworthiness of public transport in the area and to lauch an investigation into the cause of the recent accident; and
(5) expresses its condolences with the families of the deceased.
Agreed to.
APPROPRIATION BILL
Debate on Vote No 15 - Housing:
The MINISTER OF HOUSING: Madam Speaker, hon members, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, an aerial view of the country’s landscape shows rambling mountains rolling down from one end of the country to the other, with railway lines neatly cutting across it, opening up gateways through the heartland of the country’s economic epicentre.
Behind this facade lies the sad story of the effect of apartheid’s spatial planning on the lives of ordinary people. Railway lines fiercely cut, divided and separated townships from suburbia. The mountains hid dusty and barren townships on the one side, neatly tucking away homesteads on the lee side, giving them the full run of spectacular views.
This is the legacy we inherited, a system that left a history that drew and defined human settlements in terms of class, race and the protection of privilege. Townships were not supposed to be seen, hence their location behind mountains, hills and railway lines. Farmworkers were worse off, with their residences cruelly tied up with working conditions. Their tenure depended on their employment status, thus making them most vulnerable and subject to the whims of the employers, and virtually at their mercy. This trend has left poor land-use patterns devoid of any structured planning or visionary outlook, with the poor living in much poorer conditions away from economic and social opportunities, and the privileged on prime, well-located land.
In the six years of democratic governance, we have steadfastly redrawn the settlement patterns. We have removed barriers like insecurity of tenure and outlawed all forms of discrimination while, at the same time, stoking the fires and breathing life into an industry that was in its death throes. A multipronged strategy saw the implementation of a diversity of programmes homing in on and addressing the heart of the problem and producing positive results.
From the initial phase of applying the basic-needs approach and focusing on giving support to the poor through a housing subsidy grant to the establishment of living communities based on environmentally sensitive practices to promote sustainable development, we can safely say that we have tackled the apartheid juggernaut.
Our successes were underpinned by the national housing vision, which catered for the country’s poor without fear or favour. We view housing delivery as part of the broader developmental process. We are renewing our commitment to a housing delivery system that makes use of all available capacities and resources. To this end, our priorities will include the promotion of rental housing development through social housing in order to maximise options and choice; a shift of focus to qualitative measures of housing delivery, rather than quantitative, with mechanisms for needs assessment, monitoring and evaluation; enhancing the synergy between the various spheres of public-private partnerships; attracting additional resources to the housing subsidies through measures to facilitate credit for housing and promote savings; facilitating better planning, target- setting and budgeting in the context of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework; and promoting integrated development through the engagement of various departments responsible for land and infrastructure.
With over a million subsidies approved and more than 4 million people housed since 1994, we are facing the challenge of tackling the housing backlog. The housing backlog is estimated to be up to 3 million. The current allocation to the housing budget is equivalent to less than 200 000 subsidies per year. This means that the reduction of the backlog is limited to the equivalent of new household formation per year.
By the end of 1999, we had a growth rate of 3,6%. The limited resources available in the fiscus mean that we have to find more creative ways and methods to reduce the backlog. The eradication of the backlog is the ideal state for any country to aspire to, particularly if it means the eradication of homelessness and the alleviation of poverty. To date, not many countries in the world have attained this goal - not even other countries like the United States or China, that have robust economies, with 4,2% and 7,1% growth rates respectively, lower levels of poverty and unemployment.
Countries with similar economies to that of South Africa, such as Brazil, have huge housing backlogs and sprawling informal settlements. Forging partnerships and mobilising credit savings are some of the strategies we are exploring. Furthermore, we are anticipating an increase in the flow of credit into the low-cost housing market through the introduction of the draft home loan and mortgage disclosure Bill, scheduled to go through the parliamentary process this year. This is one method which we are exploring.
We have learned of instances where people sell their RDP houses. We abhor this practice and view it as a serious offence. To counteract this problem, we will be introducing restrictions to the title deed, which will prevent the resale of subsidised housing through a pre-emptive clause in favour of the Government. [Interjections.] Provincial housing departments or local governments will be allowed to buy back a subsidised unit and reallocate it to the next family on their waiting list.
I am proud to announce that the special presidential projects on urban renewal, Sipps, with an allocation of R1,88 billion, has been completed through an integrated development programme in no less than 13 projects, benefiting 31 communities countrywide. Through these projects, we co- ordinated the provision of infrastructure, housing and community recreational facilities. The success of these initiatives lies in the fact that communities were involved in the planning and the execution of the projects which, in many instances, included the use of local labour. These projects were located in the following areas: The Katorus area, which includes Phola Park, in Gauteng; Cato Manor in KwaZulu-Natal; Galeshewe in the Northern Cape; Duncan Village in the Eastern Cape; Siyabuswa and Masoyi in Mpumalanga; Mahwelereng in the Northern Province; and the integrated serviced land project in the Western Cape, which includes areas on the Cape Flats.
We drew invaluable lessons from the implementation of these projects, and they were applied to the human settlement redevelopment pilot programme. We view this as a priority because this programme addresses the legacy of apartheid planning in human settlements by providing rehabilitative measures. A total of R20 million was placed on the budget for the first time last year, with a supplementary amount of R50 million from savings reserved from the SA Housing Fund. A further R20 million for this purpose has been included in the department’s draft estimates for the 2000-01 financial year.
While the first five years were focused on promoting ownership of property with security of tenure, we ventured into rental pilot projects to offer low-income earners a tenure option. We took advantage of a gap in the growth of the cities, where development in some instances meant the decay of inner-city areas, and capital flight and disinvestment meant the relocation of businesses to posher areas of the cities. This left a gap and led to the degeneration of cities.
We brokered valuable partnerships with communities, the NGOs, the private sector and local government, and this has seen the regeneration of the inner-city areas, with the development of 24 institutional subsidy projects, comprising a total of 4 671 housing units approved as upgrading, in-fill or redevelopment projects. The overall effect is that low-income earners are now residing near work areas, thus effecting savings in transport and other related costs. Of note, are projects which have continued to improve the lives of the poor in the following areas: Jeppe Oval, Eden Mews, Carr Gardens, Newtown Precinct in Gauteng, and Belgravia in the Eastern Cape.
To continue in the same vein, that is providing quality housing near economic and social opportunities, we announced the winners of the bidders of the first phase of the Jobs Summit projects earlier this year. A total of R75 million was allocated to the Housing department in October 1999. A proposal call was then issued and finalised in November 1999.
Negotiations were then held to finalise the details of the programme, and in February this year I announced the preferred bidders. The three projects to be built in Newtown Precinct in Gauteng, in Mount Moriah in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, and Tasbet Park and Duvha Park in Witbank, Mpumalanga, will all lead to the construction of quality housing units, giving beneficiaries options to own or rent.
Between February and May of this year, the financial model and the institutional model were finalised. Detailed implementation plans by the various projects will be submitted in June and July, as will the establishment of the institution to manage the programme from the national level. It is anticipated that the implementation of the projects will start in August 2000.
The rationale behind the Jobs Summit projects is to create jobs by using labour-intensive methods, showcasing best practices in the built environment while, at the same time, providing quality housing units for low-income earners near well-located land. It is estimated that each project will yield approximately 5 000 employment opportunities during the construction phase. In addition, between 200 and 300 permanent jobs will be created per project. This will have an indirect multiplier effect on the economy and stimulate demand in other related industries. The empowerment wing of each project has opened up vistas of opportunity to people who have previously been denied the opportunity to participate in projects of this nature.
The challenges we are facing in implementing integrated development measues are as follows. There is a lack of capacity among the local authorities who form the immediate point of contact in the delivery of social services. The devolution of functions to the local spheres of government should promote integrated development. However, the current absence of appropriate capacity at the local level is a major constraint and underlines the need for vigorous capacity-building programmes. However, we do have remedial measures which include the Municipal Systems Bill and its proposals on integrated development planning, and the policy on development and planning which is in the development phase.
The current approach of clustering departments and work in the Office of the President on special investment in infrastructure shows Government’s political will and determination to concentrate infrastructure investment in strategic development initiatives. Where economic opportunities exist, we would rather invest in people in areas of low economic potential. The MEF processes promote the alignment of budgets and integrated investment.
In spite of all our gains, we still face the challenge of the proliferation of informal settlements. Their existence is not unique to South Africa. It is a worldwide phenomenon prevalent in developing countries where high population growth, slow economic growth, rapid urbanisation, land hunger and homelessness and other factors contribute to their existence.
Informal settlements are a response by the poor to house themselves in convenient locations. The experience of countries such as Hong Kong, Brazil and Thailand has shown two basic strategies which can be followed in the upgrading of informal settlements. These include total land clearance and relocation of the communities to a different location and in situ upgrading where the community remains on the occupied space while it is being upgraded.
Establishing sustainable human settlements is overridden by the capacity of officials tasked with the responsibility of implementing the policy, executing their tasks to the best of their abilities while addressing broader issues around departmental transformation and the building of a solid human resource base, and at the same time offering a practical and goal-oriented course.
Consumer education and protection as areas critical to the delivery of quality homes to the poor have been identified as a priority. Our vision is to have skilled and productive personnel who are capable of implementing the departmental objectives and mission. In 1998, we bit the bullet and rolled out the first phase of the course, which was offered by the Witwatersrand University, and a total of 78 officials graduated at the end of that year. The second phase saw the numbers dramatically increasing to a total of 784 officials participating in the course last year.
The initial pilot phase informed us that there was a need to spread the course nationwide and enrol as many officials as possible by effecting cost- cutting measures. To ensure sustainable development and implementation of the housing delivery process, we have set aside an amount of R10 million for the course in the 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2002-03 financial years to fit in snugly with the MTEF planning. We are also courting partners, and their interest is encouraging.
Furthermore, to cope with longer-term needs of capacity-building and implementing training programmes for officials across the board, we are engaging all stakeholders and tertiary institutions. We have identified the following as critical in propelling housing education to greater heights: the mainstreaming of housing education and training and highlighting it as part of a critical lifeskill; the incorporation of the housing policy and strategic issues into integrated development planning and training programmes currently run by the Department of Provincial and Local Government; the creation of a pool of future housing professionals through investing in a bursary scheme to facilitate their studies to enable us to produce housing professionals, managers and practitioners; the establishment of a task team with the aim of forming a standards-generating body for housing education and training in line with the National Qualifications Framework requirements; and the establishment of multidisciplinary housing education programmes - certificate, diploma and postgraduate courses - at tertiary institutions to be accredited by the National Qualifications Framework.
We hope to address capacity constraints with the above strategies in place. We are still in an exploratory phase, but we will be making announcements very soon. Our primary target audience consists of people whose earnings are low and, to compound the problem, are regarded as a high risk by financial institutions. However, most of them are either members of savings clubs or have been effecting some method of saving individually or through groups. We intend to tap into this market to galvanise it into action for housing development.
The programme jointly initiated by Nurcha, the National Urban Reconstruction and Housing Agency, and the Department of Housing will be co- ordinated by the two. Nurcha will be tasked with working with banks to create home loan products which will be made available to people who meet agreed savings targets. The department will work out a formula whereby subsidies are allocated to savers who meet criteria still to be determined. An educational programme for savers to ensure that they make use of the financial resources acquired through the programme will be developed and implemented.
It is estimated that by the end of the third year, about 250 000 savers will have joined the programme while 69 000 will have become borrowers on the scheme. We intend to harness and promote a culture of savings in our society. To this end, we have committed R3 million for the programme, while Nurcha has raised substantial additional funding from international development agencies. The first savings and loan programme to be implemented as a result of this initiative was launched this month in KwaZulu-Natal and offers small step-up loans to people who save as little as R50 per month. Their savings are used as collateral.
A team led by officials of the national Department of Housing is currently examining mechanisms to link a portion of the annual subsidy allocation to reward savers who achieve predetermined targets. A small allocation in this financial year will grow in future years as the savings-and-loan programme gathers momentum. By linking savings, subsidies and credit, a new generation of empowered housing consumers will be created.
The housing budget allocation for 2000-01 is a total of R3,33 billion. Of this amount, a total of R2,99 billion, which is 90% of the budget, is allocated for housing subsidies through provincial allocations. Although there is an overall decrease in the total budget for housing of about R5,56 million when compared to last year, there is an increase of 4,06% in provincial allocations. The decrease is attributed to the finalisation of the special integrated presidential projects. The housing budget should not be seen purely in terms of the amount allocated through the Vote. In addition to the budget, the department was allocated R75 million from the Poverty Relief Fund for the presidential Jobs Summit housing pilot project to facilitate rental housing. As part of this project, the private sector has made a commitment to make available a further R1,3 billion over three years, and the labour movement - that is, the trade unions - will make a further investment in this respect.
In addition, the National Housing Finance Corporation has also facilitated the provision of end-user finance of about R443 million during 1999 which facilitated about 136 452 loans. Nurcha, on the other hand, signed guarantees valued at R33,626 million to facilitate housing delivery, and this comes from various institutions across the board.
The Minmec of housing appointed a task team in November to evaluate the 1995 allocation formula and the data used in the formula. It made recommendations and reported that the formula was too rigid and did not take into account the changes in settlement patterns and household growth, and that these have an impact on the housing backlog. The formula gave urban areas a huge weighting and was complicated.
The task team examined other formulae, like the fiscal and financial formula, and other variations, using the household income and backlog per province as a base. Minmec unanimously approved a new allocation formula. The formula uses the backlog per province and expresses it as a percentage of the total backlog of the country and uses household income levels below R3 500 as indicators.
A great consideration was also made to prepare for more rural development programmes. By using the household income, the formula automatically determines the poverty levels in each province, because this forms the base of the subsidy policy. To enable provincial governments to adapt their contractual commitments to their future allocations, it was resolved that the new allocation formula will be phased in over a period of three financial years. This will ensure that provincial governments will be able to utilise the funds allocated to them, optimally, in the best interest of housing and housing delivery.
Last year saw the provinces spending most of their allocations, with minimum roll-overs. This augurs well for housing development in the country. It also shows that we are managing the capacity constraints experienced in the earlier years. The allocation for the financial year 2000-01 is a total of R2,997 million, and it will be disbursed as follows.
We will make sure that, with this budget, we continue to seek appropriate and sustainable solutions to house the poor. It is expected that 40% of the beneficiaries of subsidies allocated will be to female-headed households. We will continue to seek affordable and sustainable solutions suitable for low-income earners. We hope that the momentum and pace of housing delivery will be accelerated, specifically for the benefit of ordinary people who have joined in reconstructing our country as a nation at work for a better life for all our people.
I would like to thank the director-general and staff for their support, members of the Housing family in the gallery for their contribution in helping and continuing to house the nation, and the chairperson and members of the portfolio committee for putting housing development for low-income earners at the centre of the agenda. [Applause.]
Ms N E HANGANA: Madam Speaker, hon Minister and hon members, the Minister’s speech is fairly similar to mine. [Applause.] It is not accidental that we think alike, because we come from the same background. It shows that we need a big ``cheers’’! [Laughter.]
While the foundations of our new nation have been firmly laid over the past five years, the task of building and giving effect to our vision of a new society remains critical for the new Government and civil society structures. The test of our new order will be the extent to which it is possible to house our poor people in more convenient locations, closer to transport, jobs and facilities. Another test will be the implementation of models of housing delivery which are geared towards unlocking alternative sources of housing finance for the poor and to enable them to maximise the size of their housing products. The communities that have struggled over the years are keen to see land and housing rights that they had fought for, turn into realities. We have, however, been able to learn from our successes and failures, and have made enormous strides in our capacity despite a limited budget.
On the positive side, new strategic approaches are beginning to emerge and new issues are coming onto the agenda. In the housing sector, the homeless and poorly housed are increasingly organising themselves, based on membership of housing groups and savings clubs.
The review on the Housing Act of 1997 will bring forth both the positive and negative features that are causing the blockages and problem areas that are found. The Department of Housing is in the process of formulating proposals as to how the policy framework can be improved and made more supportive of community-based approaches to housing delivery.
What is sustainable low-cost housing development? Housing has long been regarded as a basic human need, although apartheid policies meant that the majority of the population was denied state assistance for housing, and was prevented from exercising choice on where to live and with whom to live.
Housing must provide shelter, but this alone is not enough. It must also satisfy people’s need for a place of their own as a focus for family life. Therefore, for the low-cost housing and, in fact, any housing to be sustainable, it must meet four main criteria, namely ecological, economic, social and technical sustainability.
Regarding the inner-city paradigm, in the sixties and seventies governments, without adequate research into the root causes of urban blight, employed a sledgehammer approach in dealing with the problem. Large depressed inner-city areas were cleared by demolishing all buildings and inhabitants were relocated to mass housing estates on the urban periphery, far from employment opportunities.
This development model only displaced the poor to other locations, which in many cases quickly turned into slums, some of which have since had to be demolished. It would be dangerous to generalise about the causes of inner- city depression, because circumstances are many, varied and often very complex. However, a number of indicators have been identified that, collectively, frequently describe the profile of a depressed area. There are various other socioeconomic indicators that depressed areas have in common: Firstly, poverty and overcrowding; secondly, social disorder, crime and violence; thirdly, institutional and societal discrimination; fourthly, disinvestment and redlining; and, lastly, exploitation and other unfair rental practices.
Political engineering has scarred the urban environment, leaving a legacy of social disorder and disruption. In particular, legislation regulating group areas and rent control has had a devastating effect on the viability of inner cities. Classical examples of failed urban redevelopment projects include District Six in Cape Town; Cato Manor in Durban, and Pretoria’s Marabastad area. Obviously, there cannot be a standard solution for the revitalisation of depressed inner-city areas. Experience indicates that attempts to address only the physical conditions are doomed to failure, and that a holistic approach to redevelopment is required. [Interjections.] You know nothing about it. Shut up! [Interjections.]
Moreover, the approach must be people-centred, because rebuilding the fractured social fabric is a key to sustainable success. Equally important is an economic solution to re-establish investor confidence. The rehabilitation process must be locally driven by a partnership between local government, business and the community. Provincial and national spheres of Government must be supportive of local initiatives. In the Gauteng provincial policy on the integration plan of city centres, Vusani Amadolobha, a number of elements have been identified, and these are: Firstly, promoting economic regeneration; secondly, forming partnerships for development; and, thirdly, identifying the unique advantage of each centre. In realising the plan, special attention will again be given to cleanliness, safety and security, optimising existing infrastructure, accommodating vibrant trade and utilising local partnerships to drive regeneration.
Regarding the role of the Department of Housing in inner-city revitalisation, the department is but one of a number of role-players, but it nevertheless has an important function to fulfil. Some provinces have already made a substantial contribution to inner-city revitalisation, inter alia, 13 urban renewal projects that benefit no fewer than 31 communities, including Cato Manor in Durban. Regarding community participation, participatory planning where people actively shape their future is essential for the success and long-term sustainability of housing projects. It means that those beneficiary communities and other interested and concerned citizens are involved in all aspects and stages of the planning and development process. Their involvement is on-going monitoring and evaluation once the project is complete and is integral to a truly participatory approach and facilitates empowerment and self-sufficiency. There is a range of tools and methods that can facilitate community participation. These include simple methods such as house or street meetings, etc. I think my time has come to an end, but I would like to say that there is not single formula for meeting South Africa’s housing challenges. Our policies must continually evolve within the context of positive change. The chairperson has spoken. [Applause.]
Mnr T D LEE: Mev die Speaker, agb Minister, nadat die DP die behuisingsbegroting onder oë gehad het, is ons nog meer daarvan oortuig dat die ANC-regering uit voeling is met, en miskien ook gevoelloos staan teenoor, die behuisingskrisis waardeur ons in die gesig gestaar word. In 1994 is daar deur die HOP gepoog om 5% van die nasionale Begroting aan behuising te bestee. Verlede jaar het die Regering net 2% van die Begroting aan behuising toegesê. Vanjaar is die bedrag verminder tot ‘n skamele 1,4%. Hierdie afname in die besteding op behuising is ‘n bewys dat die ANC van hul verkiesingsbeloftes vergeet het en nie ‘n snars omgee vir die behoeftes van die mense nie. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Dít gebeur terwyl die behoefte aan staatsondersteuning vir behuising al hoe groter word. As gevolg van hierdie verminderde bedrag het die nasionale Regering die behuisingsbegrotingbydrae aan die Wes-Kaap met ‘n massiewe derde gesny. Dít terwyl mense van reg oor Suid-Afrika teen ‘n bestendige pas na die Wes-Kaap trek op soek na werk. Vanjaar het ongeveer 20 000 mense uit die Oos-Kaap na die Wes-Kaap getrek, maar tog het die Oos-Kaap R126 miljoen meer gekry, terwyl die Wes-Kaap R112 miljoen minder gekry het. Hoe verstaan ‘n mens dit? [Tussenwerpsels.]
Die noodwendige gevolg hiervan is dat die Wes-Kapenaars wat reeds vir subsidies aansoek gedoen het nou drie tot vier jaar langer sal moet wag om ‘n behoorlik dak oor hul kop te kry. Wanneer sal daar in die behuisingsbehoeftes van die migreerders voorsien word? Hul voorland is seker weer ‘n plakkershut êrens, soos dié van mev C Mbona in Lower Crossroads, met die gepaardgaande swaarkry van geen dienste soos watervoorsiening, rioolverwydering, en dies meer, hê nie.
Maar waarom gee ons om? Wat maak dit saak dat daar mense is soos mev Dalene Smith wat in ‘n ou lykswa bly. Hier lui ‘n opskrif: ``Resting in peace in a hearse home.’’ Sommige sal argumenteer dat sy darem ‘n ou lykswa het, terwyl ander nie eens dit het nie.
Werkloosheid het reeds ongekende afmetings aangeneem en is nog steeds besig om toe te neem. Dit het ‘n groot bedreiging vir behuising en die behoud daarvan geword. Dat staatstoelae soos pensioene so dramaties verminder is, vererger die situasie verder. Wat help dit tog om vir iemand ‘n huis te gee en hy of sy kan dit nie onderhou of behou nie? Oral waar ‘n mens gaan, word jy bewus van plaaslike owerhede wat genoodsaak word om uitsettingsbevele teen huisbewoners te kry vir agterstallige diensteskuld. Voorbeelde hiervan is legio. Hele gemeenskappe word hierdeur geraak, soos byvoorbeeld die mense van Montana in Wolseley, Delville in die Paarl, Helenvale in Port Elizabeth, Crossroads in Kaapstad en - vir mnr Nash se aandag - ook Pefferville in Oos-Londen. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Het dit nie tyd geword dat die staat ‘n basiese bestaanstoelae van sowat R100 aan elke persoon met ‘n jaarlike inkomste van minder as R7 000 gee nie? Sodoende, al is dit gering, kan ons ‘n bydrae daartoe lewer om dié mense se las te verlig. Hierdie koste kan gedra word deur die belasting op toegevoegde waarde met 1% te verhoog.
Die poging van die LUR vir behuising in Gauteng, mnr Paul Mashatile, om mense op ‘n behuisingswaglys te registreer, wil ek heelhartig steun. Op hierdie wyse kan verseker word dat behuisingsubsidies en woonerwe op ‘n eerlike en deursigtige wyse toegeken word. So is daar in talle dorpe en stede reeds waglyste van mense wat vir behuisingsubsidies aansoek gedoen het. Wat my egter verontrus, is dat daar nie altyd by hierdie lyste gehou word nie en dat mense wat nie kwalifiseer nie behuising kry. So byvoorbeeld het die seun van mev September, oud-ANC-burgermeester van Wolseley, ‘n huis gekry hoewel hy glad nie daarvoor kwalifiseer nie, terwyl Ant’ Maggie Plaatjies en Ant’ Poppie Bles, wat wel kwalifiseer, al jare op die waglys is en nou nog wag vir ‘n huis. Soos die oud-burgermeester se seun in die openbaar gesê het: ``Hier is ons, as die ANC, in bevel en hier maak ons soos ons wil.’’ Hierdie soort nepotisme en korrupsie behoort glad nie geduld te word nie. [Tussenwerpsels.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.) [Mr T D LEE: Madam Speaker, hon Minister, now that the DP has examined the housing budget, we are even more convinced that the ANC Government is out of touch with, and possibly also unfeeling towards, the housing crisis facing us. In 1994 an attempt was made through the RDP to spend 5% of the national Budget on housing. Last year the Government allocated only 2% of the Budget to housing. This year the amount has been reduced to a mere 1,4%. This decrease in the expenditure on housing is proof that the ANC has forgotten its election promises and could not care less about the needs of the people. [Interjections.]
This is happening while the need for state support for housing is becoming ever greater. As a result of this reduced amount the national Government has cut the housing budget contribution to the Western Cape by a massive third. Meanwhile people from around South Africa are moving to the Western Cape at a steady pace in search of work. This year approximately 20 000 people have moved from the Eastern Cape to the Western Cape, yet the Eastern Cape got R126 million more, while the Western Cape got R112 million less. How does one understand that? [Interjections.]
The inevitable consequence of this is that people in the Western Cape who have already applied for subsidies will have to wait three or four years longer to get a decent roof over their heads. When will the housing needs of the migrants be met? They are probably destined to live in a squatter shack somewhere, such as the shack of Mrs C Mbona in Lower Crossroads, with the hardships associated with that, namely no services such as running water, refuse removal and so on. But why do we care? What difference does it make that there are people like Mrs Dalene Smith who is living in an old hearse. Here we have an article entitled: Resting in peace in a hearse home. Some people will argue that she at least has an old hearse, while others do not even have that.
Unemployment has already reached unprecedented proportions and is still on the rise. This has become a big threat to housing and retaining housing. The fact that state grants such as pensions have been reduced so dramatically, is worsening the situation. Of what use is it to give someone a house if he or she cannot maintain or retain it? Wherever one goes, one becomes aware of local authorities which are being forced to obtain eviction orders against residents of houses whose service fees are in arrears. There are innumerable examples of this. Entire communities are affected by this, for example the people of Montana in Wolseley, Delville in Paarl, Helenvale in Port Elizabeth, Crossroads in Cape Town and - for Mr Nash’s attention - also Pefferville in East London. [Interjections.]
Has the time not come for the state to give a basic subsistence allowance of approximately R100 to every person with an annual income of less than R7 000? In this way, although the amount is small, we can make a contribution to relieving the burden of these people. These costs can be carried by increasing VAT by 1%.
I wholeheartedly support the attempt by the MEC for housing in Gauteng, Mr Paul Mashatile, to register people on a housing waiting list. This can ensure that housing subsidies and residential sites are allocated in an honest and transparent way. In many towns and cities there are already waiting lists of people who have applied for housing subsidies. What worries me, however, is that these lists are not always adhered to, and that people who do not qualify, get housing. For example, the son of Mrs September, a former ANC mayor of Wolseley, got a house, although he does not qualify for it at all, whereas Auntie Maggie Plaatjies and Auntie Poppie Bles, who do qualify, have been on the waiting list for years now and are still waiting for a house. As the former mayor’s son said publicly: ``Here we, as the ANC, are in charge and we do as we please.’’ This kind of nepotism and corruption should not be tolerated at all. [Interjections.]]
I totally concur with the director-general of Housing when she says in her annual report: To successfully provide housing in the medium to long term a turnaround is required in the private sector investment in this sector through public-private partnerships.
My question is: What is the Ministry doing to achieve this? We must remember that private building companies are not charities. To attract them to this sector we need to think creatively of incentives that will make it profitable for them to become involved.
But what are we doing? Instead of building houses we are establishing and building bureaucracies - ``jobs for pals’’! These bureaucracies are costing the state millions of rands which could have been put to better use, for example by building more and bigger houses. Some of these bureaucratic structures are duplications and serve more to impede than to assist in the delivery of housing. [Interjections.]
Ms N E HANGANA: Come on hon Lee, name one!
Mr T D LEE: A case in point is the National Home Building Registration Council or NHBRC. There, I named one. The National Home Building Registration Council.
The NHBRC was established in 1995. An advert for the council by the Department of Housing says that:
… by covering all homes, the NHBRC will be able to provide uniform protection to all South Africans at an affordable price.
But to an industry which is still struggling desperately for survival, and for millions of poor home buyers for whom every cent counts, the price is not affordable.
The NHBRC has built up a fortune in excess of R40 million, but to date it has spent less than R2 million on fixing structural damage to houses. The council is proving to be not only a financial black hole, but also a serious obstacle to the development of new low-cost houses.
While it might be relatively easy for wealthier people, like us sitting here and those members sitting there, to absorb the levy of 1,3%, the same is not the case for millions of South Africans who live below the poverty line. Not only does the levy add significantly to the cost of new houses that are built, but the specifications demanded by the council are completely unrealistic for low-cost houses. In fact, an English charity, Margaret Petersen Research, states that the NHBRC specifications have made it impossible to build a house for under R70 000.
We do not propose leaving those in the lurch who were provided worthless houses by unscrupulous builders, but the answer is to allow people some flexibility in their choices and not to impose rigidity. The DP recognises that fraud and corruption in the building industry is an enormous problem, but the NHBRC is a ponderous, expensive parastatal which does not serve the interests of those it was created to protect. [Interjections.]
The first priority in reviewing the legislation should be the removal of the statutory monopoly of the NHBRC. Other insurance products offering realistically priced warranties should be encouraged to enter the market. Legislation should dictate that all new houses must be insured and that a minimum range of potential defects must be covered. This will provide cover to new home owners at a considerably lower cost. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Mr J H NASH: Madam Speaker, Minister Mthembi-Mahanyele, Deputy President, comrades and friends, it is indeed a pleasure to take part in this debate today, especially after Mr Lee. [Laughter.] There are always complaints that the budget is too little, but this budget has not been reduced.
The DP is always ranting and raving. I have not met a more depressed group of politicians. [Laughter.] Let me start with Mr Lee. I visited Port Elizabeth and the voters there asked me to convey a message to him. They have noted that he is the one who jumps up every time to ask for a division and that he is prepared to oppose any legislation that proposes change in favour of the masses. [Interjections.] They say that he reacts like a puppet on a string, dancing to the wishes of his white masters. [Laughter.] [Applause.]
They say that while the whites in his party enjoy his antics, he must not forget that the people in Gelvandale and Chatty and all the northern suburbs are watching Mr Lee. [Laughter.] [Applause.] Why is he wasting his time in Wolseley when he should be in his constituency in Port Elizabeth? [Interjections.]
Much has been said about the homes that have been built since 1994. Let me put that into perspective. The previous apartheid government did not build a single house in the last 10 years of their rule. While their policy was to dispossess the entire black population of their homes and their land, our policy is to give land to people … [Interjections] … to give them a starter home with services such as water, sanitation and electricity. [Interjections.] While they put people into homes for which they had to pay high rentals, the ANC-led Government has given more than 800 000 families freehold titles. [Applause.] That amounts to a starter home with all the amenities, free of charge.
Which government in the western world has tackled their backlog in this way? Which one? Come on, tell me! [Laughter.] Our opposition is asking: When are we going to get rid of the backlog? [Interjections.] We need to be mindful of what causes a backlog. I do not think they are. Urbanisation has caused people to flock to the metropolitan areas in search of a better life. In most rural towns there is large-scale unemployment. As there are very few institutions of higher learning, the people send their children to the cities. Young people who have gone through universities and technikons are not prepared to stay in rural towns in the rural areas where there is no scope for them.
HON MEMBERS: Why?
Mr J H NASH: That is the cause of the backlog. People are going to the towns. The educated people should know that, but they are closing their eyes to the truth. These are just a few of the reasons why we shall always have a need for housing. Our opposition treat the backlog in housing as if the Government can solve the legacy which we inherited in a day. They must stop dreaming.
The new thinking in Housing presents many new challenges. First of all we want to encourage prospective home owners to save, so that they can add value to the subsidy scheme. In Hanover Park, Cape Town, people were allowed to save for six months before they were put into their homes. Depending on the amount of savings, they could add value to their homes. Within five years they will own their homes, unlike in the apartheid days when they paid rent for 30 years and never owned the house.
The aim of the ANC-led Government is to leave behind complete communities so that we do not work in isolation. We are linked to health, to education, to water affairs, safety and security, environmental affairs and others. We want to plan for food security, so we shall encourage estate gardens. We want to encourage a healthy environment, so we shall build sports and recreational facilities in towns. Why are they quiet now? Come on, make noise! [Laughter.] Other aspects of our vision and goals is to manage our housing stock optimally. We shall provide rental stock and home ownership.
Mr D H M GIBSON: Is the hon member in favour of motherhood?
Mr J H NASH: The hon member looks like his mother because of the way he is crying. He should have fallen on that mouth, not on that knee. Those families that cannot afford home ownership, will be encouraged … [Interjections.]
Ms J A SEMPLE: Madam Speaker …
The SPEAKER: Order! Hon member Nash, would you just take your seat for a moment?
Mr J H NASH: Madam Speaker, this woman is wasting my time. [Laughter] I am not prepared to answer her question. Stop wasting my time. Sit down, please. [Laughter.] The SPEAKER: Order!
Mr J H NASH: Come on, hurry up! Hurry up!
Ms J A SEMPLE: Will the hon Nash take a question? [Interjections.]
HON MEMBERS: No!
Mr J H NASH: Is the lady deaf? Did she not hear that I do not want to answer questions.
The SPEAKER: Order! The answer is no. Would you take your seat, please?
Mr J H NASH: Madam Speaker, we have to step up controls in all aspects of housing. We have the legislation in place, so we have to beef up our administration in our provinces. Local authorities must take responsibility for the building standards in the cities and towns. All homes have to be enrolled in a building register. All developers and contractors have to be registered. Contractors who do not complete their contracts should be blacklisted. We look forward to the legislative programme for this year. [Interjections.]
In our visit to Smartie Town in Macassar, we found that people have partly developed homes. The contractor is long gone, but people are still getting accounts for nonexistent services. Can hon members believe that? [Interjections.] In the townships of Salt Lake - Mr Lee must listen now - Missionvale and Chatty in Port Elizabeth, substandard houses with cracked walls, leaking roofs and defective floors are causing major problems. [Interjections.] In many instances, the large building contractors, who are still awarded new contracts, are to blame for the substandard houses. [Interjections.]
This is the complaint in all the major centres of South Africa. We need to stop this exploitation by appointing a task team to investigate substandard buildings and to force the contractors to go back and clean up the mess. I want to tell Mr Lee that it is messy in Port Elizabeth. He has to go back and help clean up the mess. [Laughter.] Those corrupt contractors should not be awarded any future contracts. All contractors should be placed on a database which would show their successfully completed developments all over South Africa, all 800 000 of them. [Interjections.] The little boy at the back there should stop making a noise in the kitchen. I must say … [Interjections.]
Mr M J ELLIS: Madam Speaker …
The SPEAKER: Order! Hon Mr Nash, would you please take your seat.
Mr J H NASH: Madam Speaker, is it someone again? [Interjections.] Oh no! [Interjections.] Mr M J ELLIS: Madam Speaker, on a point of order … [Interjections.]
Mr J H NASH: I do not want to answer questions, man! [Interjections.]
The SPEAKER: Order! Mr Nash, please sit down!
Mr M J ELLIS: I do not want to ask you a question; I would not waste my time! Madam Speaker, on a point of order: The hon Nash referred to ``the little boy making a noise in the kitchen’’. I believe that it is unparliamentary and that he should withdraw it.
Mr J H NASH: Oh no, it is not! It seems as if he does not understand parliamentary … [Interjections.]
The SPEAKER: Order! Mr Nash, will you take your seat, please! [Laughter.]
Mr M J ELLIS: Madam Speaker, if I could address you further, please. We believe that he was referring to the hon Dan Maluleke. If he was referring to him as ``the little boy in the kitchen’’, we believe that that is also racist. [Interjections.] [Laughter.]
Mr J H NASH: I was not referring to Dan Maluleke. [Laughter.]
The SPEAKER: Order! Hon Mr Nash, would you take your seat! [Laughter.] Hon member Mr Nash, if you were referring to a specific member in that context, would you please withdraw it.
Mr J H NASH: Madam Speaker, I was not referring to a specific member. I was referring to those noise-makers there at the back. [Laughter.] May I go on now? [Laughter.]
The SPEAKER: Order! Hon Mr Nash, would you sit down until you are asked to speak!
Mr M J ELLIS: Madam Speaker, on a further point of order: When the hon Nash referred to ``the little boy’’, he was obviously referring to a specific member and we believe it was Dan Maluleke.
The SPEAKER: Order! Hon member, would you please take your seat. I will look at the Hansard and consider it. [Interjections.]
Mr J H NASH: He is so scared of me speaking that he is taking points of order! [Laughter.]
The SPEAKER: Order! Mr Nash! [Interjections.] [Laughter.] Hon members, would you please not enagage in bilaterals on the floor of the House! [Laughter.] And would you please wait for the Speaker to ask you to resume before you come back and start speaking. Hon member, your time has been adjusted, but you have less than a minute, so would you please conclude your comments.
Mr J H NASH: Madam Speaker, I just need a minute to deal with Ellis, because he is forever wasting my time. He is scared of me. That is why he takes points of order. [Laughter.] [Applause.]
Mr B M DOUGLAS: Madam Speaker, hon members, I think it is time for the IFP to bring some order back into this House. [Interjections.] I would like to thank the members for their comic antics and theatrical skills, but let us now get to the facts.
I read a book by Charles Dickens, appropriately entitled Hard Times. In this book there is a peculiar character called Mr Gradgrind. He likes to deal with facts. He is obsessed with facts, and has the following to say:
You are to be in all things regulated and governed by fact. We hope to have, before long, a board of fact, composed of commissioners of fact, who will force the people to be a people of fact …
You are not to have, in any object of use or ornament, what would be a contradiction in fact.
I think if this man were alive today, he would have said, allowing for fact, that we need a Speaker of fact and a country led by a President of fact, assisted by a Cabinet of fact, MECs of fact and Premiers of fact, even in Mpumalanga. [Interjections.]
Let me get my facts straight. The IFP believes that we should graduate to political maturity and be candid about the facts compounding the delivery of housing, whether historical, current or future facts. We should air and accept the facts, whether we are positioned on the side of the Government, like the ANC; in opposition, like the DP; Constand-ly positioned, like the FF; heavenly positioned, like the ACDP; have no more position, like the NP; positioned in Chatsworth, like the MF; positioned for the Afrikaner, like the AEB; nonpositioned, like the UDM; or positioned in Azania, like the PAC and Azapo. [Interjections.] The best positioned is the IFP, viz independently and factually. Let us get back to some budgetary facts. The Department of Housing’s budget has been cut by 5,5% or R196 million rand from the previous year. That is a fact. There is an estimated backlog of about 3,7 million houses. That is also fact.
A decrease of some R252 million in Programme 3: Housing Performance is responsible for the overall decrease of about 54% in this programme. The reasons provided in the explanatory memorandum, and even by the Minister herself today, were, firstly, the finalisation of the special presidential projects; secondly, no funding for the National Housing Finance Corporation; and, thirdly, a lower allocation to the SA Housing Trust, which is being wound down after a decision by Cabinet. These facts compound the problem, but the success of the department is loudly applauded.
Regarding Programme 4: SA Housing Fund, there was an increase of some R56,8 million, of which transfer payments for more housing subsidies make up the largest part of about R56,4 million. This is a commendable and very encouraging fact. However, this increase means that only 3 067 additional subsidies of R18 400 can be made available, which will hardly make a dent in the current backlog being experienced.
However, a paper commissioned by the Centre for Development and Enterprise indicates that all is not doom and gloom and that South Africa compares well with other nations when it comes to housing delivery, if not better. Here are some of the statistics: Singapore took some 26 years to build just more than 0,5 million houses; Cuba took 26 years to build 0,5 million houses; Sweden took 10 years to build 1 million houses. South Africa took just five years to build 750 000 houses. [Applause.] This is, indeed, a remarkable feat and an overwhelming fact.
Wenze kahle umhlonishwa uNgqongqoshe wezeziNdlu. [The hon the Minister of Housing has done well.]
While caution is wise and the quality and dimensions of the housing stock
provided cannot be directly compared to South Africa’s core houses, one
must be impressed with what South Africa has achieved. One should also not
forget that Sweden devoted between 6% to 7,5% of its gross national product
to the housing sector over a 10-year period, in contrast to South Africa’s
1998-99 housing budget.
The IFP is also less vague and academic than many of those people who talk
about principles and fundamental matters. We think that the provinces
should take full responsibility for additional housing subsidies and apply
them more responsibly in order to build something bigger and more habitable
than the current vez’unyawo [one foot showing], as the township people call
them. Some people in Hanover Park say: ``Die huise is só klein dat jy nie
eens jou mind' daarin kan opmaak nie. Jy moet buite toe gaan om jou mind’
te kan opmaak.’’ [Gelag.] [The houses are so small that one cannot even
make up one’s mind in them. One must go outside to be able to make up one’s
mind. [Laughter.]]
Another important fact is that at a symposium in Johannesburg on 4 May none other than our esteemed Judge Heath informed us about the following investigations. He said that 232 contractors were being investigated for having received millions of rands whilst not having built a single house. In KwaZulu-Natal one firm of attorneys was being investigated for allegedly having received R5 million for contracts drafted between nonexistent purchasers and sellers. Another contractor was paid money, but did not build a single house. He went overseas, came back, got another contract and has yet to build a house. I think the Minister of Correctional Services needs to house these scoundrels and scallywags.
‘n Groot probleem is die integrasie van die voormalige Huis van Afgevaardigdes en die Huis van Verteenwoordigers en die oordrag van provinsiale bates aan munisipaliteite, veral in Gauteng. In sekere departemente is baie ou instansies se skuld van 1994 nog nie eens afgeskryf nie.
Iemand hier het gepraat van vrye oordrag. Baie mense sien net die vrye oordrag van vrot huurhuise op die TV, maar nie op die grondvlak nie. Ons mense sit met opgehoopte skuld en oordragkoste en ons kan nie kop of stert uitmaak van dié vrye oordrag nie. Die aand- en môrepraatjies stem nie altyd ooreen nie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[A big problem is the integration of the former House of Delegates and the House of Representatives and the transfer of provincial assets to municipalities, especially in Gauteng. In certain departments debts owed by many old institutions in 1994 have not even been written off yet. Someone here spoke about free transfer. Many people only see the free transfer of lousy rented houses on TV, but not at grass-roots level. Our people are saddled with accumulated debt and transfer costs and we cannot make head or tail of this free transfer. The information given is not always consistently the same.]
Many people in very poor communities are facing the possibility of losing their homes, because some former apartheid departments are keeping the registration and subsidisation of indigents a secret as an election carrot or sweetener. Nevertheless, the IFP applauds the Government for making funds available for the settlement of communities such as those in Doornkop and an integrated rural strategy which makes provision for about R2 million for projects in rural areas. The extra allocation for more consultants does rather raise concern, but the two-monthly appraisal of their performance to avoid job hopping is supported.
The IFP supports the budget. This is our country. We shall pull this wagon together across the hills, valleys and treacherous terrain of politics for the sake of all our children and the children’s children’s future. Amen! [Applause.]
My broer wat nou so-ewe gepraat het, moenie net praat van die lykswa en die ander dinge nie. Die DP moet vir ons sê waarom hulle na die Zimbabwiese ambassade toe marsjeer as daar iets daar anderkant gebeur. Hulle moet na daardie man toe marsjeer wat die swartmense by die varke laat bly het en die water afgesny het, dan kan hulle sommer hul feitesendings daarheen stuur. Dan sal ons miskien kan steun wat hulle sê. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[My brother who has just spoken should not only talk about the hearse and the other things. The DP must tell us why they march to the Zimbabwean embassy when something happens over there. They must march to that man who has forced the blacks to live with the pigs and has disconnected their water supply. They can send their fact-finding missions there. Then we may be able to support what they say. [Applause.]]
Mnu L P M NZIMANDE: Somlomo, malungu ahloniphekile, sebekhulume kakhulu ngesilungu. Bengizokhuluma ngaso nami kodwa sengiyayijika le nto ngoba ngifuna umyalezo uhambe kahle.
Ithe i-ANC ifuna ukwenza izikhungo zikaHulumeni ezizokwazi ukusebenzela imiphakathi eyizakhamuzi zaseNingizimu Afrika. Ekuqaleni kuka-1994 i-ANC ithathe izintambo kubolile emNyangweni wezeziNdlu. Izindlu bezingasakhiwa, abesifazane nabakhubazekile benganakekelwe, futhi bengabantu abakade bengenawo amathuba okusebenza. Lokhu bekungenxa yezizathu ezifana nokuthi bekufanele babheke amakhaya; kanti futhi abakhubazekie bebengathathwa njengabantu okufanelekile ukuthi bangaba abanikazi bezindlu.
Ekukhulumeni kwe-ANC kusomqulu wayo wokhetho yathi izonikeza izimpilo ezingcono ebantwini bebonke. Leyo mpilo engcono kubo bonke abantu incike ekutheni kwenziwe ngcono izinga lempilo ephilwa ngabantu. Lokho kuzokwenzeka ngokuthi abantu banikezwe ubunini bezindlu ezizobe zakhiwe nguHulumeni. Lokho kwenzekile ngoba ubekhulumile uKhongolose ukuthi uzobeka okungenani inani lezindlu elingahle lifike esigidini kule minyaka emihlanu edlule.
Lokhu kuye kwawela ezandleni zabantu abaningi abangathembekile emiphakathini nasezakhamizini zaseNingizimu Afrika, ngoba kwakhiwe izindlu okungezona lezo uKhongolose obekuthiwe makazakhe. Yena wayesebenzisa iphuzu lokuthi unikeza amandla ebantwini okuthi mabakhe izindlu, bathathe amathuba bazakhele izindlu ngokusizwa yizimali ezivela emNyangweni wezeziNdlu. Kwafika-ke abantu abakha izindlu, laba okuthiwa ngama-developers, bakha izindlu noma yikuphi nangendlela abathanda ngayo.
Uma kukhona ukukhononda nezinkinga esibhekene nazo namhlanje, yilezo zinkinga ezisuka ngokuthi kuqhamuke abantu abafana nalaba abangosonkontileka abakha izindlu ngokungalandeli imigomo nezinkambiso uHulumeni noKhongolose abebezibekile kusomqulu wakhe. Ngokukasomqulu kuyashiwo ukuthi yilokhu nalokhu okufanele sikulandele, sihambe ngakho ukuze kwakhiwe izindlu eziyokwazi ukuhlalisa imindeni, zihlalise nabantu kuthi nezingane zithole uphahla ngaphezu kwazo.
Ngithanda ukubeka futhi ukuthi uNgqongqoshe uthe usebeke izindlela eziningi zokuthi alwe nalezi zinkinga esibhekene nazo mayelana nokulethwa kwezindlu ebantwini. Uthe ngesingaye akakuboni ukwehla kwezimali. Ukwehla kwezimali okwenzekile kulesi Sabiwomali esikhuluma ngaso namhlanje, kuzoguqula imigomo nezinkambiso ebesizibophezele kukho njengoKhongolose ngokuthi izindlu zizoqhubeka zakhiwe. Siyakuzwa lokho. Ushilo futhi ukuthi uzogqugquzela kakhulu ukuthi kube ngabantu abasiza ngokubambisana noHulumeni ukuthi izindlu zakheke zibe yilezo zindlu abazifunayo, futhi zibe sezingeni abalifunayo.
Mayelana nabakhubazekile, ushilo futhi ukuthi kwinkambiso-mgomo yomnyango, abantu abakhubazekile banemali engaphezulu kwale yomxhaso okhona eyenza ukuthi izindlu zabo zikwazi ukuvumelana nesimo sabo njengabantu abakhubazekile.
Siyalazi futhi iqhaza elibanjwe ngomama bebhukula esimweni lapho sebebonile ukuthi kunezinkinga ezikhona ezihambisana nokungethembeki kwezinkontileka ebantwini uma zibakhela izindlu. Sibabonile omama emkhankasweni weVictoria Mxenge lapha eNtshonalanga Kapa, nabanye abangaphansi kwenhlangano ye- Federation of the Homeless. Izindlu bazakhile ko-Piesang River futhi bazakhile ngale eMpumalanga. Siyalibonga leli qhaza elibanjwe ngomama. Leli futhi yiqhaza esizwile uNgqongqoshe ekhuluma ngalo ethi lisabalulekile futhi uHulumeni uyaligqugquzela ukuthi malibanjwe ukuze abantu bazakhele izindlu ngokuxhaswa nokusizwa ngumnyango nangosomabhizinisi abanokwethembeka nokuzibophezela ekwenzeni impilo engcono yabantu.[Ihlombe.] (Translation of Zulu speech follows.)
[Mr L P M NZIMANDE: Madam Speaker and hon members, previous speakers have spoken profoundly in English. I was going to deliver my speech in English but now I have changed my mind, because I want the message to be received easily.
The ANC wants to build public institutions in which South African communities will work. When the ANC came into power at the begining of 1994, it discovered that things were not right in the Department of Housing. Houses were not being built, and women and disabled people were not taken seriously as they were deprived of job opportunities. One of the causes of their being unemployed was that they were compelled to stay at home. Disabled people were not considered as people who could own houses.
In its manifesto, the ANC said it would provide a better life for all. That better life for all depends on the improvement of the lives that our people are leading at the moment. Their lives will improve when the Government builds houses for them. The ANC has done this as it had promised to build approximately one million houses in the past five years.
The building job fell into the wrong hands as it was taken up by corrupt people in our communities. Those people are South African citizens who built houses that were not the kind of houses that the ANC wanted to build for our people. The ANC was trying to empower people by allowing them to build houses for themselves with the money from the Department of Housing. The builders - they are known as developers - built houses in any way they liked.
If we are facing problems today, it is because they have been created by contractors who built houses without following the policies and regulations that the ANC stipulated in its charter. The procedures are clearly stated in the ANC charter. They must be followed so that familes will have houses.
I would like to mention that the hon the Minister said that she suggested many ways of dealing with the problems that we are facing with regard to building houses for our people. She says that she does not think that there is a decrease in the budget. The decrease in the budget that we are discussing today will change the policies and regulations which we as the ANC have committed ourselves to, in saying that we will continue building houses. We understand the impact that the budget might have. She also says that people will work together with the Government to ensure that houses are built in the way that people want them and at the level of their choice.
Concerning disabled people, she says that according to the policy of the department, the budget for disabled people is higher than the sponsorship that the Government provides them with. This will enable disabled people to have houses that will suit their situation.
We appreciate the role played by women in taking action after they had realised that there were problems caused by the disloyalty of contractors when they built houses for our people. We saw women in the Victoria Mxenge campaign, here in the Western Cape, and the campaign by other women who were members of the Federation of the Homeless. They built houses in Piesang River and in Mpumalanga. We say thank you for the role that the women have played. This is the role that the hon the Minister regards as an important one. She also says that the Government encourages people to play this role so that houses will be built with the sponsorship from the Department of Housing and with the assisstance of businesspeople who are loyal and committed to improving the lives of our people. [Applause.]]
Dr R T RHODA: Madam Speaker, Minister of Housing, hon members, while flying over the length and breadth of South Africa with its 40 million inhabitants, I have often wondered at the vast tracks of land we have and how it comes to pass that so many men and women on whom life has inflicted the curse of poverty and homelessness cannot even afford a tiny piece of land. Can it be possible that so many South Africans can live out their entire lives without ever owning a single plot of land while foreigners buy up chunks of our land without even setting foot in this country?
We all know that land is fixed in its geographical position. Land is a finite natural resource which predates the theory of property. Land, like air and water, is different from other forms of manufactured property because land is not the result of anybody’s labour.
During the few minutes I have at my disposal, I would first like to highlight a few points of serious concern, and they all revolve around the question of delivery. There is still a tremendous housing shortage in South Africa today. We are in the middle of the year 2000, and the promised target of one million houses has not been reached. In fact, the latest statistics indicate that only 596 059 units have been completed, built or are under construction, the latter definition being problematic because this does not indicate clearly to what degree these units are under construction. The Government’s estimated shortage at the end of June 1998 was 2,6 million units. The ANC’s failure to deliver sufficient housing is one of its most embarrassing performances so far. A broken promise is worse than a broken bone, they say.
According to the director-general, it is conditional that the provinces use the funds allocated to them, but this is not happening in six of our provinces. In fact, provinces that attract the most influx and urban drift, for example, the Western Cape, are bursting at the seams, as it were, and are forced to overspend, have their budgets drastically cut while six of our provinces are sitting with loads of unspent money. I would like to know: Will the Minister penalise them, and what does the Minister intend doing with the unspent funds? Is it not possible to transfer the unspent money to provinces that are in dire need of extra funds?
I am glad to hear that the Minister has, at last, taken our advice and will reintroduce the pre-emptive right clause. If this is not done urgently, townships can and will become the ownership of druglords and business speculators, while the largely illiterate and unsophisticated subsidy beneficiaries are swindled all the way back to the squatter camps.
I would also plead that subsidy grants be given to poor people who have taken the initiative to purchase undeveloped property or land with their own funds. At present, they are disqualified. It is a pity that the department has to spend so much money on additional administrative tasks to monitor fraud and corruption, when this money could be spent on more houses. Corruption and theft by housing developers can be reduced significantly if the provinces stopped approving individual, noncredit- linked subsidies. This is fraud-friendly. Happy letters are signed before the houses are built and the builder simply disappears after being paid.
I have listened to what the Minister said on rental housing. Private sector involvement is to be welcomed. I would still like to know from the Minister, very clearly and exactly, how she will be subsidising rental accommodation. In his book Poverty to Property, Prof Themba Sono recommends that superfluous state land should be transferred to the homeless on a one- family, one-plot basis. I would recommend that the Minister reads this book. This will bring about a massive, once-off transfer of land to the formerly disadvantaged - I am glad that that member is here - and it will provide some form of compensation for past deprivations and allow them to improve their lives rapidly and dramatically. This is a system used successfully in other parts of the world.
This will help especially in our rural areas where 40% of the citizenry live and they account for 70% of the poor. Squatters do not have an incentive to spend money on permanent structures from which they may be evicted at any time, whereas owners have the benefit of performance and, in addition, they can borrow money for improvement, using land as the security.
According to a Green Paper published in 1996, state land comprises one third of all South African land, yet we constantly hear about the shortage of land on which housing projects can be developed. State land that is not suitable for housing should be sold and the proceeds used for purchasing suitable land for housing.
In closing, South Africa’s political liberation in 1994 astonished the world, but freedom … [Time expired.]
Chief N Z MTIRARA: Chairperson, hon members, in practice, the objectives of a state Budget is to quantify the needs and requirements of all citizens of a country and to make timely provisions of such services on an equitable basis for the benefit of all the inhabitants and voters of that country, irrespective of any ideological, territorial or class distinction of the citizens of the country. In South Africa, however, it would appear that it has become customary to retain certain appendages of the apartheid era by drawing a clear line of distinction between the inhabitants of urban areas and those of rural communities.
The greater proportion of benefits in the budget allocation of the Department of Housing for the year 2001 continues to be directed towards fulfilment of the needs and requirements of inhabitants of the First World category, while services for the needs of people in townships and rural communities have not been adequately provided for in the budget, thereby making the scope of the budget lopsided, resulting in an inequitable distribution of resources among the citizens of the country.
The most obvious discriminatory aspect of the 2000-01 budget and those of the previous years is in the allocation of the R18 000 housing subsidy which is given to first-time home owners in urban residential areas. This facility is not extended to first-time owners in rural communities. This instance constitutes a travesty of justice and is a serious aspect of continued discrimination, resulting in inequitable distribution of the nation’s resources.
The rural residents are citizens of the country and contributed equally in voting the Government into office. The residents of rural communities are therefore equally entitled to receive the Government’s subsidy to enable them to build houses in rural areas and also become home owners. Research indicates that the majority of people residing in informal settlements moved out of rural communities and settled around the perimeter of urban areas in informal settlements chiefly because of joblessness and partly because of homelessness.
The availability, therefore, of the housing subsidies and titles to the land to first-time home owners in rural areas would not only be a progressive step towards the transformation of rural communities, but would also tend to reduce the high level of continual migration of people from rural to urban areas and the high population levels in informal settlements.
In the circumstances, it is therefore clear that the rural revitalisation programme cannot be successfully accomplished without the allocation of the R18 000 housing subsidy to provide and upgrade housing and infrastructure for rural communities. According to statistics, the number of landless and homeless people in South Africa amounts to 8,2 million. This figure includes people living in informal settlements throughout South Africa, those living in backyards and those whose names constitute the abject backlog in housing applications that has been building up since 1994.
The budget for 2000-01 for the Department of Housing does not appear to have made adequate provision for the housing needs of the homeless and landless people of South Africa. In order for the Government to be in a position to reduce the constantly rising number of homeless and landless people, drastic measures will have to be embarked upon. In the first place, the Government must remove low-income housing market impediments so as to enable rapid and innovative housing development. The Government must simplify formalities for the establishment of low-income townships, create specialised areas exempt from building codes and costly formalities for registration of titles, suspend the minimum housing standards until the homeless are housed and, as an emergency measure for the destitute, allow private provisions for low-cost sites without serviced land. These measures will provide a measure of relief for the millions of our disadvantaged homeless people and the landless of South Africa.
The problem of landlessness and homelessness for the majority of South Africa’s black population is one of the most serious challenges in the 21st century and faces not only South Africa, but the entire African continent, as the greater proportion of land was not transferred to the indigenous inhabitants of the respective countries during the time of the granting of independence, but remained in the hands of their former masters who are, up to now, reluctant to share voluntarily the ownership of the land with the homeless and landless millions of blacks on the entire African continent.
The problem of land distribution has now assumed very serious levels. In South Africa, the land distribution problem is worse than in other African states as the ownership of the land in white hands is about 87% and no serious attempt is envisaged that could lead to equal distribution of land among all citizens of the country in order to provide houses for all the needy citizens of this country.
In spite of the anomalies I have highlighted above, we wish to state that we accept this careful budget plan and this workshopped budget, which is good. It does not need any hammer and chisel to work on it. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Ms N E PHANTSI: Chairperson, Minister of Housing and hon members, since 1994 the ANC has been leading a vast process of change. Against the odds, faced with challenges and resistance, the ANC has remained resolute in the struggle to remove the apartheid system and what remains of its practices. Therefore it is imperative that we see this budget as one of our commitments to strive for the betterment of the lives of the masses of our people, whom the NP discriminated against. The ANC supports this Vote.
Allow me to focus my debate on the prevention of illegal evictions. Section 26(3) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa determines:
No one may be evicted from their home, or have their home demolished, without an order of court made after considering all the relevant circumstance. No legislation may permit arbitrary evictions.
Furthermore, section 25 (1) states:
No one may be deprived of property except in terms of law of general application, and no law may permit arbitrary deprivation of property.
In line with these constitutional requirements, the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act was passed by Parliament in 1998, replacing the unconstitutional and highly contentious Prevention of Illegal Squatting Act. The aim of the Act was to repeal the unconstitutional Prevention of Illegal Squatting Act and to replace it with a statute that is in line with our Constitution. It criminalises unlawful evictions and creates a new and fair procedure for the eviction of unlawful occupiers.
We all agree that laws are not an end in themselves, but are very important instruments for good governance. This brings another challenge to Government for the adoption of serious measures to enforce the Act. In itself, this Act protects human rights and yet this does not appear to be so. We still find that some of our courts are not utilising the Act for its intended purpose but, instead, they use this Act merely to get tenants off the land.
It also appears that some farmers are not adhering to the Act. Farmworkers are still being evicted without any court order. This in turn gives birth to a number of people remaining homeless, which leaves them with no choice but to build shacks. This could also be attributed to an increasing backlog in housing which, in fact, is not a real backlog. This behaviour is totally unacceptable and uncalled for, and thus needs to be avoided at all costs and by all means.
The Act strikes a balance between the needs of landowners who are faced with illegal land occupations and the poor homeless, who are often victims of evictions through actions over which they have no control. The Act protects both the land-owner and those suffering illegal evictions. A contributing factor to the Act not achieving its goals is the fact that there has been negative feedback from people who have dealt with and been involved with the Act.
It appears that the definitions of certain words in the Act are too broad, and, as a result, leave room for uncertainty in the scope of the intended application of the Act. To rectify the problem, it has been submited that the definitions of certain words be amended and certain phrases deleted. What has prompted me to say this is the fact that the illegal evictors themselves use these pitfalls to undermine the Act.
Naturally, the tasks we set ourselves, as the ANC, in the Reconstruction and Development Programme, have not all been accomplished. We therefore reaffirm our commitment to the RDP and the perspectives it contains. The ANC supports this Vote. [Applause.]
Adv Z L MADASA: Mr Chairman, the ACDP recognises the need to manage the crisis of people who dwell in the cities without shelter. We therefore support the budget.
However, the department and the Government as a whole need to understand that traditionally it is the role of the individual and the employer, be it a company or the Government, to provide housing. Housing is directly linked to employment. The Government should erect temporary transitional housing, for example flats to house people who are waiting for employment. We should ensure that the proliferation of squatter camps is discouraged by providing suitable alternatives. The Government needs to send a clear signal to the people that it cannot successfully build enough houses for them, because it has a limited budget for housing, and that it is not its primary role to do so.
The main cause of homelessness is the disintegration of families. Parents desert their families to dwell in the cities. Young adults leave their homes prematurely to start their own families without adequate income. Many people leave their rural houses because of poverty to seek food in the cities. To reverse this trend, the Government must launch a well thought- out rural development programme. The department must launch, urgently, a return-home campaign for young people and urban dwellers who are unemployed. Once the rural areas become economically viable, many people will be willing to go back home.
The Government needs to inform the public that it has limited funds for housing. We must ensure that unreasonable expectations are not created, and the emphasis must be on self-help. People must be made aware that there are limited employment opportunities in the cities and that, without jobs, they would be unlikely to get adequate housing in the cities.
Omnye umntu, e teksini, uthe: ``Kutheni le nto uMandela efuna ukwakhela amanye amadoda izindlu, loo madoda engazakheli?’’ Anditsho ukuba loo mntu ebethetha into eyiyo kodwa kukho umyalezo kula ntetho. [Kwaqhatywa.] (Translation of Xhosa paragraph follows.)
[A person in a taxi said: ``Why does Mandela want to build houses for other men instead of those men building them for themselves?’’ I am not saying that person is right, but there is some message in that. [Applause.]]
Mev M P COETZEE-KASPER: Mnr die Voorsitter, watter jammerte is dit nie dat mev Southgate nie hier gepraat het nie, want sy het saam met ons getoer. Sy bly in die Wes-Kaap en sy weet watter gemors is hier in die Wes-Kaap aan die gang.
In ons pynlike verlede van verdeeldheid en bedelary in agtergeblewe gemeenskappe het die ANC gestrewe na ‘n beter lewe vir almal in Suid- Afrika. Dit was en is ons prioriteit om ons mense se waardigheid en selfbeeld te verbeter deur die basiese voorsiening van ‘n huis aan mense wat dit nie kan bekostig nie.
Vandat die DP die amptelike opposisie geword het, is ons nog net gekritiseer, ongeag die verbetering van die lewenstandaard van miljoene Suid-Afrikaners, wit en swart. Die Leier van die Opposisie, die agb mnr Tony Leon, en mnr Ellis-hulle moet onthou dat mense wat in glashuise bly nie klippe moet gooi nie. [Tussenwerpsels.] Hulle moet water spuit om die ruite skoon te hou, sodat hulle kan sien wat nog verbeter kan word om ‘n beter Suid-Afrika te skep. [Tussenwerpsels.]
In 1995 is Servcon gestig met die doel om huiseienaars wat agterstallig geraak het met hul paaiemente te help. Ons moet erken die doel van Servcon was goed, maar ongelukkig kon nie almal geakkommodeer word nie. Omdat daar nie huise beskikbaar was vir hervestiging nie, het ons in 1997 voorgestel dat huiseienaars die huise moet kan huur met Servcon as bemiddelaar. Dit was egter ook onsuksesvol. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mrs M P COETZEE-KASPER: Mr Chairperson, what a pity it is that Mrs Southgate did not speak here, because she toured with us. She lives in the Western Cape and she is aware of the current mess here in the Western Cape.
In our painful past of division and beggary in disadvantaged communities the ANC strove for a better life for all in South Africa. It was, and is, our priority to improve the dignity and self-image of our people by the basic provision of a house to people who cannot afford it.
Since the DP became the official opposition, we have only been criticised, irrespective of the improvement in the standard of living of millions of South Africans, white and black. The Leader of the Opposition, the hon Mr Tony Leon, and Mr Ellis and company, must remember that people who live in glass houses should not throw stones. [Interjections.] They should hose the windows down with water to keep them clean, so that they can see what must still be improved to create a better South Africa. [Interjections.]
Servcon was established in 1995 with the objective of helping home owners who were in arrears with their payments. We must admit that the objective of Servcon was a good one, but unfortunately not everyone could be accommodated. Because there were no houses available for resettlement, we suggested in 1997 that home owners should be able to rent their houses with Servcon as mediator. However, this was also unsuccessful.]
The reasons are as follows: The bondholders claim they were misinformed and misrepresented when they applied for mining houses. That is point number one. The home owners claim they were not informed nor sufficiently educated on long-term financial risk or interest rates that vary. The home owners signed their documents in their offices, and thus there was no control over the necessary explanations, which may or may not have taken place, thus resulting in the problems they experienced.
The various financial institutions were not included or involved when documents were explained and signed. It should be noted that the home owners have more faith in the financial institutions than in their employers, as they feel betrayed by the latter. Many of the nonpaying occupants, especially in cases where the property has been reposessed, are still under the impression that they are the owners and that the financial institution should be sympathetic to their situation because their retrenchments were and are beyond their control.
The Deputy Minister of Minerals and Energy a mamele [should listen]. Many of the elderly occupants and owners feel they were tricked into buying property that they cannot afford after retirement, resulting in them losing their property. There are several houses in Meloding that were badly built. Badly! The mines retaliated defensively and shifted the blame onto the financial institutions.
Hoewel Servcon baie kan vermag ten opsigte van die voorsiening van ‘n dak oor ‘n familie se kop, is daar nog slaggate wat die doelwitte van die Regering strem. Regskaling kan byvoorbeeld net werk as daar huise beskikbaar is. Regskaling is aanvaarbaar as die grootte van die huis vir ten minste ‘n kamer vir ‘n tienerseun, vir ‘n tienermeisie en vir die ouers voorsiening maak. Regskaling sal slegs werk as die banke erken dat hulle ons mense oortollige rente gevra het. Regskaling teen vandag se waardes is onaanvaarbaar as die bewoner reeds meer as ‘n derde van die oorspronklike waarde van 10 tot 15 jaar gelede betaal het.
Die agterstand wat ons met behuising ervaar, word vererger deur mense wat by myne afgedank word nadat hulle tot 15 jaar diens verrig het. In dié tydperk het hulle betaal vir hul huise, maar dit word nie deur die banke in ag geneem nie, en hulle beskou die betalings net as ‘n deposito. Dit is ‘n skande dat die ontwikkelaars wat hierdie huise destyds gebou het nie vandag verantwoordelik gehou kan word nie, maar wel die mense wat die huise besit.
Die waarde van die huise styg en daal, maar voor ons as ANC-regering aan bewind gekom het, het die daling nie vir ons mense gewerk of voorsiening gemaak nie, want baie van ons mense het nie kennis van rentekoerse gedra nie. Die oplossing - agter ‘n probleem moet daar altyd ‘n oplossing wees - vir die probleem lê daarin … [Tussenwerpsels.] Ons het ‘n oplossing, nie net julle wat klippe gooi nie! En dan breek julle jul eie huise! [Tussenwerpsels.]
Die oplossing vir die probleem lê daarin dat hierdie huise regmatig oorgedra moet word aan die eienaars of bewoners daarvan, of dit nou mynhuise of bankhuise van die sewentiger- of tagtigerjare is. Verbeterings aan geboue wat deur die eienaars aangebring is, moet ook in ag geneem word, want die meerderheid van hierdie huise is in die vroeë tagtigerjare gebou.
Die mynwese is bereid om die huise te verkoop as hulle ‘n ooreenkoms kan bereik met die nasionale Regering, maar die pryse wat hulle vra, is definitief belaglik. Baie van die huise sou minder as R15 000 werd gewees het as die bewoners dit nie self versorg het nie, en baie van die huise is nie eens R500 werd nie. Ek stel voor dat huise vir ‘n tydperk van vyf tot 10 jaar op huurkoop beskikbaar gestel word sonder om enige rente te hef op ‘n bekostigbare paaiement, na gelang van die inkomste van die mense, sodat mense wat self in die tagtigerjare laat bou het, nie hulle huise verloor nie, maar eienaars bly.
Laastens wil ek namens al die onskuldige slagoffers van die proses waarin mense se huise deur die myne aan banke verkoop is, versoek dat daar ‘n ondersoek gelas word om die proses te bevraagteken sodat mense kan verstaan hoekom die huise waarvoor hulle so lank betaal het nog aan die banke behoort en hulle van nuuts af die banke moet betaal. [Tyd verstreke.] [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Although Servcon can achieve a great deal in respect of the provision of a roof over a family’s head, there are still some pitfalls which are hampering the objectives of the Government. Rightsizing can, for example, only work if there are houses available. Rightsizing is acceptable if the size of the house at least makes provision for a room for a teenage son, one for a teenage daughter and one for the parents. Rightsizing can only work if the banks admit that they have been charging our people too much interest. Rightsizing at todays values is unacceptable if the occupant has already paid more than a third of what the original value was 10 to 15 years ago.
The backlog that we are experiencing with housing is being exacerbated by the retrenchment of people from mines after they have served for up to 15 years. During this period they paid for their houses, but that is not taken into consideration by the banks, and they regard these payments as a deposit only. It is a disgrace that the developers who built these houses at the time cannot be held responsible today, but the people who own the houses are.
The value of the houses increases and decreases, but before we, as the ANC Government, came into power, the decrease did not work or make provision for our people, because many of our people did not have any knowledge of interest rates. The solution - behind a problem there must always be a solution - to the problem is contained … [Interjections.] We have a solution, not only you who throw stones! And then you break your own houses! [Interjections.]
The solution to the problem lies in the fact that these houses must be rightfully transferred to the owners or occupants, whether they be mine houses or bank houses purchased in the seventies or eighties. Improvements that have been made to buildings by the owners must also be taken into consideration, because the majority of these houses were built in the early eighties.
The mining industry is prepared to sell these houses if they can reach an agreement with the national Government, but the prices which they are asking are definitely ridiculous. Many of these houses would have been worth less than R15 000 if the inhabitants had not maintained them themselves, and many of these houses are not even worth R500.
I suggest that houses be made available in terms of an instalment system for a period of five to 10 years without charging any interest on an affordable payment, in accordance with the income of the people, so that people who had their houses built in the eighties do not lose their houses, but remain owners.
Finally, on behalf of all the innocent victims of the process in which people’s houses were sold by the mines to banks, I would like to request that an investigation be launched to examine the process, so that people can understand why the houses for which they have paid for so long still belong to the banks and why they have to pay the banks all over again. [Time expired.] [Applause.]]
Mr P H K DITSHETELO: Chairperson, hon Minister, the decrease in this budget from R3,529 billion in the 1999-2000 financial year to R3,3 billion in the current year is inconceivable when one considers the essential service this department is expected to deliver. It is a case of cutting one’s nose to spite one’s face. Adequate assistance to this department is imperative to enable it to achieve its goal: providing shelter to the needy.
We appreciate the establishment of the National Housing Finance Corporation by Government in May 1996. However, we would prefer that this corporation be watched diligently with respect to whether it is accessible to the clientele it is supposed to serve and also to the realisation of its objectives. If it does not deliver satisfactorily, then it must be reviewed.
I ask the hon the Minister to ensure that we analyse Servcon. Are we getting our money’s worth from this establishment? Has the culture of paying rent improved? Has the arrangement that Servcon entered into with occupants about these properties lived up to expectations? Satisfactory answers to these questions will encourage us to support the realisation of the department’s objective.
Finally, the establishment of the National Home Builders Registration Council is viewed with appreciation, as it aims to protect housing consumers against fly-by-nighters. Much has been said about exploitation by these unscrupulous developers, who deliver poor-quality houses which are sometimes incomplete. The council will keep this in check. We support this Vote. [Time expired.]
Mr D K MALULEKE: Chairperson, hon Ministers, colleagues, six years after the coming of liberation and democracy, the situation is still the same in Soweto. [Interjections.] Burst sewer pipes, festering rubbish heaps and emerging squatter camps on the fringes of most townships throughout the country are the order of the day. [Interjections.] I am not surprised, because those hon members live in the surburbs, while I am from Soweto. The situation is worse than it was before 1994, and that is a fact.
In the context of scarce resources, it is impossible to provide everyone with accommodation of a high standard, so access to shelter for everyone, rather than quality accommodation for a few, must be the goal. The DP believes that all sectors of society need to be mobilised to resolve the housing crisis. The role of the state is to achieve maximum levels of nonstate resources through strategic application of public resources. It is vital that the process of identifying and releasing state land for housing be speeded up through a multilevel interdepartmental committee. At the same time, delivery mechanisms aimed at bringing privately owned land onto the market also need to be explored. These measures could include rates holidays and rebates for land owners. At the minimum, one million low- cost houses should be constructed over five years. The Government must allocate subsidy funds from the budget to reach a goal of not less than 5% of the budget by the end of the five years of the RDP. Administrative procedures must be simple, cheap, quick and transparent, must support community participation and must prevent corruption with no kind of discrimination.
There is a massive gulf between Government’s promises on housing delivery and actual delivery. One of the central tenets of the ANC’s election promises was the building of one million new houses by 1999. By late 1998, only around 480 000 units had been built or were under construction. At the opening of Parliament in 1998, President Mandela announced that the Government was unlikely to meet its target. Shortly after that, the Minister of Housing publicly backed down from the initial RDP promise and said that the target would be met at a later date, subject to the availability of resources.
Even the figure of 480 000 units probably gives an exaggerated picture of what has been achieved. The building industry says that most of these units under construction are little more than bare foundations. The Building Industry Federation of South Africa says that industry experience is that less than half of these units include top structures such as walls. In the words of one development academic, housing statistics are being tortured until they confess.
But, if all the houses that have actually been built were of acceptable quality and the processes were smooth and corruption-free, then failure to meet targets would probably be less of an issue. But this is far from the case. The number of gains frequently results in the compromising of housing quality by developers in bids to boost delivery fugures, so many of the houses built have been subject to a variety of problems. The Minister of Housing declared in March 1999 that more than half of the 600 000 houses built for the poor were substandard.
An investigation was prompted when then Deputy President Thabo Mbeki discovered on a trip to an Upington housing development that the houses were less than half the maximum size. At a settlement in Giyani in the Northern Province, 43 houses collapsed in a storm just two months after completion. Other problem developments included a suburb in Paarl where developers had just built roofs supported by four steel pillars without a single brick wall. There is a current preoccupation with the numbers game. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Mr S D MONTSITSI: Chairperson, hon Minister, friends and comrades, in supporting this Vote, I wish to remind the House that this week has been declared African Renaissance Week by the OAU, the Organisation of African Unity, in celebration of its anniversary on 25 May - a day before my birthday, by the way! [Interjections.]
Not so long ago, our shores were blessed with delegates from member states of the Nonaligned Movement, international observer organisations, guest countries and organisations in conference, where a declaration for the new millennium was adopted. Its introduction, in part, states:
We, the Heads of State or Government of the Movement of Nonaligned Countries, who have met in Durban, South Africa, on 2 and 3 September 1998:
At the dawn of the new millennium, aware of the symbolism of being on a shore where we get the first glimpse of the sun rising over the Indian Ocean, now pronounce ourselves as follows:
We are the ones who have endured centuries of colonialism, oppression, aggression, exploitation and neglect. We have been the invisible people of the world. In recent times, spurred by our Movement and progressive forces, we see our rapid emergence from that condition. This despite vast obstacles deliberately placed in our way and new, totally unexpected, challenges facing humankind. Indeed, our time has come.
Despite these obstacles deliberately placed in our way, the ANC continues to proclaim to all to know that there shall be houses, security and comfort for all. This policy statement should and must be realised in our lifetime. This is not a tactic, but a strategic and policy statement of the ANC on housing. In the quest to continue to house the nation, the department has developed a dynamic relationship with the People’s Housing Process. These are poor communities that are homeless and organise themselves into groups with the sole purpose of building their houses, managing the building process and acquiring the necessary training and skills. It is these communities that benefit from the People’s Housing Partnership Trust through capacity- building. The trust is able to mobilise support from national, provincial and local government through workshops and exchange programmes.
There has been a remarkable increase in the establishment of housing support centres in eight provinces. It has increased from 31 some time ago in 1999 up to the present. The Department of Housing has contributed in developing capacity within the People’s Housing Process, including building capacity for the provincial and local government tiers in order to administer housing programmes on behalf of the national department.
The long-term programme of this development saw a shift from workshops to partnerships with universities. The Minister has been able to elaborate on those issues. These empowerment and capacity-building initiatives have resulted in communities building houses, not for profit, but for their own residence. In the past few years, transformatory legislation has been passed by the Housing Minister, namely the Rental Housing Act of 1999, to regulate the relationship between the tenants and the landlords and to provide for rental stock, and the Housing Act, Act 107 of 1997. This Act abolishes the previously diverse apartheid legislation, and promotes integrated housing development. We also have the Housing Consumer Protection Measures Act, Act 95 of 1998, which protects home owners against unscrupulous building contractors and ensures a quality product. Fourthly, we have the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act, Act 19 of 1998. This prevents illegal evictions and illegal occupation of hazardous or dangerous land.
In line with this legislation, a community in a township in Gauteng was found to have been established on dolomitic land. This is dangerous land on which houses could disappear in sinkholes during heavy rains. The community was reluctant to move out of this danger zone, because no houses have sunk yet. The MEC for Housing, Mr Paul Mashatile, appealed to the court. His case was upheld by the courts and arrangements were made to move the people to safer ground. Before that could happen, the DP in Gauteng came running to support those groups who would not move. Section 26(3) of the Constitution provides:
No one may be evicted from their home, or have their home demolished, without an order of court made after considering all the relevant circumstances.
Now, unfortunately, what the DP did immediately after the court had passed judgment, was to align themselves with those who wanted to default, those who wanted to defy the courts, and those who wanted to stay in that place, despite the fact that it was a hazardous place. It was a dangerous place for habitation. What Comradede Paul Mashatile has requested me to do is to tell the DP to respect the law and to be aware of the fact that there is a separation in terms of respect for the courts and respect for the decisions that the courts have made. The DP should not encourage people to stay on that land, because they understand very well what will happen. If people sink into those sinkholes, the DP will not be there to pledge solidarity with them. [Interjections.] [Applause.]
Dr S E M PHEKO: Mr Chairman, millions of Africans in the cities will remain on the waiting list for a long time to come, because of the shortage in the budget for housing. Already there is a housing backlog.
At any rate, homes are not built in the sky or in the air. They are built on the land. It is obvious that as long as the people of this country are betrayed on the land question, homelessness and filthy and unhealthy squatter camps will be part and parcel of life in what is called the ``new South Africa’’.
Millions of filthy squatter camps that are scattered throughout this country, are an indictment against those who have been ridiculing the land question. The problem of homelessness cannot be resolved without allocating land to the homeless. In many places in this country, the homeless plead for land. African people, as they have done in their precolonial history, can build more decent homes for themselves if given land. In the rural areas where people are poorer and neglected, they have built themselves beautiful houses on the very limited land at their disposal.
It is a shame that the African people can be built such inferior houses, which even the government of Verwoerd never built. How many people in this Parliament would be prepared to go and live in these houses? Today many people for whom these houses are built call their houses vez’unyawo [one foot showing] or sutha re kwale [shift so that we can close the door], because they are very small.
There is a need to apply African minds to African problems and look at the indigenous African land system against the colonially inherited system, which sells land and speculates on it while the indigenous people of this country remain homeless and landless. When we look back at our history, we find that African kings gave their subjects free land because, in African society, land was a national asset allocated to every adult for basic human needs. Allocation of land was a fundamental human right of every citizen. Every adult person had the right to land - land on which to build a home for his family, land to produce food and to create self-employment, as well as land for pastures for livestock. The eurocentric way of treating land is bound to create massive homelessness, unemployment, poverty, escalation of crime and conditions for a revolution. Landlessness will make Africans powerless, perpetual beggars who control nothing but this Parliament and mekhukhus [shacks]. [Interjections.]
Miss S RAJBALLY: Chair, Minister and hon members, the current housing policy must be exercised in the specific context of high levels of poverty, inequality, unemployment and scarce resources.
Although the financial budget may increase from year to year, the implementation of the low-cost public housing programme does not meet the demands of the poor, who are the masses. Ironically, affordability of home ownership by our previously disadvantaged citizens seems to be far-fetched owing to the economic inequalities that exist among the majority. The minimum salary and wage structure, which at present averages R1 900 per month, must be used by the state as a guideline in assessing Government subsidies. Therefore the shortcomings in housing development and delivery can be solved through the strategic planning of subsidy distribution and more accurate accounting of the financial flow.
Transferring people to better houses cannot eliminate poverty. The number of people living in informal settlements and rental dwellings is increasing radically. They live in the prevailing circumstances not by their own choice, but out of necessity. We must seriously consider the ripple effect that the shortage of housing has on the economy, health, welfare and the safety and security of our South African citizens.
The high demand for housing has encouraged the private sector to build medium-cost and high-cost houses. The private sector is not interested in building low-cost housing, owing to the small profits. The economic and social development of the people depends on the function of state activity, which derives its responsibility from and within the rules of capitalism. Thus, the state is granted considerable authority and discretion to determine finance, promote, co-ordinate, monitor and communicate policy in respect of housing and human settlement to the maximum benefit of our people.
It would be wise and cost-effective in the long term if a wide range of methodological and conceptual themes are reached to explain the performance of housing agencies, especially in policy confusion and fragmented decision- making, as this would avoid delaying the vigorous housing process. Building houses is not the only solution. The rehabilitation programme must be given priority. For example, the Government can offer attractive subsidy schemes to upgrade and modernise old urban areas that are decaying.
The five paramount issues which affect a successful housing policy are the following: The need to reconstruct more South African cities that were inherited in a terrible state and condition from the apartheid regime; holistically stimulating a quality living environment; using the housing policy to promote employment opportunities; promoting a vigorous housing process to the optimum; and stimulating a broad range of housing initiatives to complement the economic, social and political diversity that exists within the South African community.
The aim of the housing budget reform process must be to meet the needs of the poor and the homeless, and to sustain the family system, as families are the power engine of South Africa. The MF supports the Vote. [Applause.]
Moh M S MAINE: Modulasetulo, Tona, Comrade Sankie Mahanyele, baemedi ba batho, tlotlegang. Go bua ka tekanyetsokabo ya Lefapha la Matlo ke sengwe se se tla nnang le rona matshelo otlhe a rona. Lefapha leno ke lengwe la mafapha a a tshwereng nkwe ka dingana, ka gore tlhokego ya matlo ke bothata jo bo gaisang mo nageng ya rona, mme ke bo bo sa rarabololweng ke gore madi a le teng kgotsa a sa lekana.
Mo Lefapheng la Matlo ke mo motho a lemogang sentle gore mo nageng ya rona re na le palo e kae ya batho, le gore re oketsega go le go kae, le gore koketsego e re nang le yone ao e raya gore palo ya batlhoka-matlo ke baagi ba naga eno fela, kgotsa batswantle le bone ba oketsa palo ya bothata jo re setseng re lebane le bona. Ka jalo Tona Sankie ga a lebagana fela kego aga le kabo ya matlo, mme o tshwanetse le go tlhokomela gore ao matlo a tsena mo matsogong a a lebaneng.
Ke rata go dira boikuelo go Tona ya Matlotlo gore mo isagweng lefapha la gagwe le lebelele mathata a Lefapha la Matlo, gore ga se fela go emisa ntlo go go diragalang, mme bothata-bogolo ke ditsha tseo ga jaana di kometsang karolo-kgolo ya madi a ntshetswang go aga matlo. Ke rata go raya Tona ke re se ke tshitshinyo ya gore mo isagong Lefapha la Matlo lebone lotseno lo lo kwa godimo. Re nale molawana wa kago ya matlo kwa metse-selegaeng o o amogetsweng. Se se itumedisang ka ona ke gore o phatlhaladitswe ka dipuo le diteme tse di farologaneng. Kwa KwaZulu-Natala go nhile le dipholo tse dintle mabapi le one, segolobogolo ka dikgosana tsa mafelo a mantsi koo, di ne tsa tsenela dikopano le Tona Nyanga Ngubane. Magosi ao a fetiseditse molaetsa kwa merafeng ya bone ka tsela e e itumedisang.
Seo motho o se bone gape ka ntlha ya makwalokopo a a amogetsweng morago ga dipuisano. Fela tiego e e leng teng e tliswa ke mathata a kago ya matlo kwa magaeng e nang le one. Ke rata go umaka mafelo a a latelang kwa go agilweng matlo teng kwa metsemagaeng. Kwa Mpangeni go agilwe matlo a le 200, kwa Newcastle a le 50, kwa Mandeni a a ka nnang 31, mme kwa Ngcolosi le 200. Ditlhabologo tse di diragala le kwa Bisho le mafelo a mangwe kwa Kapa Botlhaba. Fela go na le dikgoreletsi mo maitekong le boikemisetsong jo.
Go tlhokega thata gore dikgoreletsi tsa kwa metsemagaeng di lebelelwe go farologana le tsa metsesetoropo. Bothata jo bogolo ke metsi: ke one a bakang tiego mo leanong la kago ya matlo kwa magaeng. Kwa mafelong a mangwe batho ba tsaya leeto le le boitshegang go bona metsi, ka jalo kago e diega thata ka e tlhoka metsi a mantsi. Kwa mafelong mangwe go tlhokega madi go baakanya le go busetsa didiba mo maemong a tiriso. Ke ka moo ke reng boikuelo jwa me go Tona ya Matlotlo ke go tsaya mathata a ke a umakileng tsia, le go bona gore ao tota tšhelete e e abelwang lefapha le, e lekane go ka rarabolola mangwe a one.
Seno se tshwanetse go susumetswa gape ke lobaka la gore bontsi jwa ditlhogo tsa malapa-jaaka Tona a setse a umakile - a a thulanang le mathata a, ke bomme. Re na le 47% tsa bomme bao kwa metsemagaeng. Lefatshe e sale nngwe ya dikgoreletsi tse di tshwenyang. Go na le dikgosana kwa metsemagaeng tseo lefatshe e leng maemo a ba sa rateng go a kgaogana le ope. Go rebola lefatshe gore puso e dire ditlhabololo, mo go bona go raya gore bogosi bo fedile.
Kopo ya me ke gore Lefapha la Matlo le batlisise ka moo go ka dirwang dipuisano le boeteledipele jwa setso. Go itshupile maloba ka dikgogola gore matlo a mmu a kotsi go feta a samente ka nako ya merwalela le diphefo. Seno se raya gore re tshwanetse go tlhokomela gore kago matlo e diragala le kwa metsemagaeng, segolobogolo le go thibela phutugelo le mekhukhu e e senang palo kwa metsesetoropong, ka gore batho ba tlisiwa ke go batla matlo a a botoka le ditlhabololo. Gore tsotlhe tse di kgonagale, Lefapha la Matlo le tshwanetse go ema ka maoto. Fa rre a tswa kwa metsemagaeng, a bona tiro mo toropong, fa a sa kgone go latela motse wa gagwe gore a tlhome mogoafatshe mo a dirang teng, o aga legae le lengwe kwa motsesetoropong, mme se se oketsa palo ya lehuma le tlala kwa metsemagaeng ka gonne rre yoo o tlogela mme le bana ba ba tla beng ba sena lotseno.
A mongwe le mongwe a dire tiro ya gagwe: magosi a rebole lefatshe kgotsa ditsha, gore fa re sa dire tiro ya rona jaaka Puso, re supiwe ka menwana. Diopedi tse re nang le tsona mo Palamenteng di fetole pina ya go nyefola, mme di tlhame ya gore tota rona karolo e re e dirang ke eng go rarabolola bothata jo re bo bonang jo?
Ke rata go raya Tona, Comrade Sankie, ke re ga go na ope yo a tshwanetsweng ke lehuma kgotsa tshotlego, jaaka batho bangwe ba nagana gore fa o le motho montsho yo o tswang kwa metsemagaeng, ga go molato le fa o nna mo ntlong ya mmu. Jaaka mokgatlo wa ANC, re a gana rona, mme ra re: Botshelo jo bo botoka go botlhe, le ba ba kwa metsemagaeng. [Legofi.] (Translation of Setswana speech follows.) [Mrs M S MAINE: Chairperson, Minister Comrade Sankie Mahanyele and hon members of this House, to talk about this Vote of the Department of Housing is something that will remain with us for the rest of our lives. This department is faced with difficulties because lack of housing is a big problem in our country. This is because there are not enough funds aavailable.
It is at the Department of Housing that one notices how many people there are in our country. It is also here that one notes by how much the number of people is increasing and whether those who lack houses are South Africans or illegals who are adding to this number. Therefore, the Minister is not only faced with the task of allocating houses but she also has to ensure that the houses get allocated to the rightful owners.
I would like to appeal to the Minister of Housing that in future her Department’s task should not only be to erect a house. Plots on which these houses are built tend to swallow up a large portion of the department’s budget. I would like to tell the Minister that I think that her department should get more funds.
We have an Act in place which promotes the building of houses in rural areas. What is pleasing about this Act is that it has been published in different languages. In KwaZulu-Natal there have been good results in connection with this law, especially among the kings of these areas. They attended meetings with MEC Nyanga Ngubane and these kings passed on this message to their subjects in a satisfactory way. This has become apparent because of letters of request that have been received after these discussions. But the delay is caused by problems which rural housing encounters.
I would like to mention areas where houses have been built in rural areas. At Mpangeni 200 houses have been built, in Newcastle 50, Mandeni 31 and Ngcolosi 200. Developments are also taking place at Bisho and other areas in the Eastern Cape. But there are obstacles in these attempts and intentions.
It is important that obstacles which occur in rural areas should be looked at differently from those that occur in urban areas. The biggest problem which causes delays in the building of houses in rural areas is lack of water. In some areas people walk great distances to fetch water, therefore the building of houses is delayed as houses need water. In other areas there is a lack of funds needed to repair dams and bring them into use. My appeal to the Minister is to take heed of the problems I have mentioned and see whether the funds that are allocated to the department will solve the problems.
This has to be emphasised because, as the Minister has stated, many households are led by women. We have 47% of such women in rural areas. Land is still a major stumbling block. There are kings in rural areas who do not want to part with land. To them dividing the land to allow the state to develop means that the kingdom has come to an end.
The Department of Housing should seek ways of negotiating with leaders of the people. It was clear the other day that mud houses cannot withstand floods and strong winds. Cement houses need to be built. This means that developments should also occur in rural areas especially to prevent shacks from mushrooming as people want better houses and development.
For this to happen the Department of Housing should pull up its socks. When a father comes to town and finds work, he sets up a shack and thus builds another home in town. This increases the amount of poverty and hunger in rural areas, because this father leaves behind a mother and children who have no income to feed themselves.
Let each and every one of us do his or her part. Let the kings divide the land or plots among the people so that our job as Government should be done. The singers which we have here in Parliament should change their song of undermining and they should compose a song which asks what are we doing to effect change.
I would like to tell the Minister Comrade Sankie that no one should go hungry, as some people think that if one is a black person from the rural areas it does not matter if one lives in a mud house. We as the ANC say that there should be a better life for all and even those in rural areas. [Applause.]]
[The MINISTER OF HOUSING: Madam Speaker, I wish to thank all those who participated in this debate, despite the fact that this Parliament has to deal, I think, with a very serious problem that I am going to identify, especially amongst members of the opposition. I have been listening to inputs from members on my left and I am becoming really worried because it looks as though, firstly, those members did not give themselves an opportunity to look at the housing policy before making their inputs. Secondly, they did not give themselves time to look at the programmes that are being implemented by the department, and because of that, I suspect that the public outside is being confused by members on my left.
I think members should be aware of the fact that this Government, led by the ruling party, the ANC, inherited problems that, perhaps, very few parties in the world have inherited, one of which is the backlog regarding a number of issues - the most critical being the backlog in respect of the land issue. A member of the New NP here, Mr Rhoda, said he was very surprised that people do not have land. I am very shocked to hear this from a member of that party, which consciously instituted laws and made sure that they were implemented over a period of 50 years, suppressing the majority of the people in this land, and central to those policies was the land issue. [Interjections.]
And because the majority of the people in this country refused to be suppressed or objected to those laws, we went to war and this war was on various fronts - through political organisations, through underground structures and, finally, we are in this Parliament because we fought for the land. [Interjections.] This Parliament has leading members who are members of the ANC which cannot be a party which does not care and does not relate to the land issue. We do relate to the land issue and since we came into office, more than 4 million have a title deed and security of land. [Applause.]
It is also shocking to me to hear people, especially members of that party, talking about this backlog and this budget which is not enough. When we moved into office, members of the DP were sitting in this Parliament as an opposition, but I do not remember seeing members of the DP fighting to make sure that these laws were fought that were relegating the majority of the people into the townships. [Interjections.] Very little was done. Very, very little was done by members of the DP. It is also surprising that members of the DP want to debate this issue of the budget which is not enough, whilst members of the DP were sitting here looking at the economy declining, being mismanaged and doing very little about it. Instead, they were fighting the liberation movement that was saying that the apartheid institutions and laws should stop so that we can have this democracy. [Applause.]
There is an insinuation that the budget allocated to the Western Cape is not enough and that the budget was not allocated in a manner that is appropriate. I would like to remind members … [Interjections.]
Mr M WATERS: Mr Chairman, on a point of order: Is it parliamentary for this hon member to mislead this House? [Interjections.]
The CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: Order!
The MINISTER: Hon members, I see … [Interjections.]
The CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: Order! The Minister is replying to the debate. She is replying to the debate and nobody can say she is misleading the House.
The MINISTER: Hon members, we are talking of poverty in this country. We are all concerned that there is poverty and the majority of the people who are poor are the blacks. That is a fact, and I find it very surprising that any member of this House would question the fact that the Housing Minmec took the decision that the biased weighting in favour of the urban areas should be restructured, so that we can begin to direct our budget towards the rural population and, when we talk of development, we can talk of development in both the urban areas and the rural areas.
Therefore we moved away from the formula which was biased towards making sure that the urban areas got more money and came up with a formula that gives us a 50-50 balance. We are also preparing for the fact that the Cabinet has taken a decision that rural development should be on a par with development across the country. The formula that we have adopted is a formula which makes sure that there is a balance. There is nothing wrong with the kind of formula which we have. I think I would like to advise members of that party to make sure that the allocation of the budget in the Western Cape should be done equittably and should also be directed to black- dominated areas.
Mr Lee is complaining about the National Home Builders Registration Council because his problem is that, from the day we established this institution, there has been a hue and cry from the class that owns capital, and he happens to be a member that supports that class. Those people were complaining about the fact that the registration council was going to dominate the environment and not give room to other institutions to provide insurance.
Mr Lee is forgetting the fact that, for many years in this country, construction was operating outside the sphere of a regulatory system or a regulatory agency like the registration council. There was no insurance. There was nothing for the low-income earner. He did not do anything about it, and when this Government decides to protect the consumer and make sure that they are not being exploited by unscrupulous developers, he complains. Where are his interests? [Interjections.]
Mr Lee was not listening when I was talking. I talked about the public- private partnerships that have been forged as a result of the Jobs Summit agreements. Those are going to make sure that there is job creation, they are going to make sure that we draw and attract investment into this sector and they are going to make sure that all spheres of government participate and play a role in making sure that there is low-cost housing for the majority of the people and, therefore, that financial institutions are part and parcel of this venture.
Mr Lee is complaining that we did not consider the migratory patterns into the Western Cape. I think he is very wrong, because one of the major things that we looked at was the statistics of the population in the different provinces. The budget is being allocated in terms of the backlog in a province, the number of households with low-income earners and the overall needs in that province. The Western Cape is not the only province to which people migrate. I think the cities that bear the highest number of people migrating to them are the cities of Gauteng, followed by those of KwaZulu- Natal and then the Eastern Cape. The problem is that he is not interested in our developing the rural areas. I am also not surprised, because he is not interested in the poor. He is interested in another class, in whose interest it is to make sure that whatever we do generates profit and that that profit just goes to a minority and not the majority. We are not about that.
The issue of corruption and maladministration is being addressed by this Government. The mere fact that there is the Heath commission and the Scorpions, shows that we are trying to deal with the issue of corruption and we do not need to be advised by people who sat in this Parliament, who were in this country all the time, who looked at corrupt institutions and at corrupt members in government and who did nothing about it, but now that this Government is leading in fighting corruption, they become the new patriots. We are not going to join them in that one. And we are not impressed. [Interjections.]
On the issue of having to deal with the backlog in relation to the budget, I really would like to request members in this House to share with us the concern which we all have of the limited resources this Government has. This is not just in respect of housing. I am sure that the welfare department would like to have more resources. Housing would like to have more resources. However, I think that, in terms of houses, in order to reduce the overall backlog, we do not just need the Government’s capital subsidy. It will never be enough, no matter what we do. What we need is a partner that is going to join hands with Government. I think, in some of our approaches, members will see that there is a benefit in making sure that business, the community, consumers and the Government join hands. The Jobs Summit projects are about that. But, at the same time, those who are aware of what is happening on the ground will accept the fact that the People’s Housing Process, a policy trust which allows people to build on their own, has provided us with houses that are far bigger than the houses he is complaining about, because people are doing the construction themselves. I would like us to identify the problem and to lay the blame on the doorstep of those who are involved. If he comes across substandard houses and houses that are small - he has given them the name of ``vez’unyawo’’ or whatever he calls them - he should understand the fact that that kind of product is not the result of our housing policy, but it is a problem of people who received the subsidy, in this instance the developers, who are trying to get more than the necessary profit from our capital subsidy.
We are dealing with those issues through the registration council - some members do not want us to have that council - to ensure that those developers that are unscrupulous and are trying to generate more profit than they deserve, are taken back to those kind of structures to restructure them and to give us the kind of acceptable structures that we expect which, according to our norms and standards, is a minimum of 30 m2 and more.
I am also surprised that hon members on that side of the House are not aware of the fact that we have a rural housing subsidy which was announced one and a half years ago, yet they are waking up to the fact that they have to remind us that the rural population must access the subsidy. Even before we announced this rural housing policy, the rural population was accessing its subsidy through the general subsidy. So, I would like the hon members please to go back to our policies and programmes, so that when we deliberate in this House, we do not confuse the general public.
The issue of an individual subsidy has been raised. We made an announcement a long time ago that we are having problems around individual subsidies, and therefore we are encouraging applicants to access their subsidies through the project-linked subsidies. So, this is an old story. Somebody has been left behind, and the train is moving. We cannot be responsible for that.
An hon member raised the fact that, in order to eradicate homelessness, we must ensure that we get a bigger budget, and that Government does one, two, three and four. I do not know if all of those things will be enough, because I think the kind of backlog we have needs quite a number of years to be eradicated. I also think that the challenge which we have to accept and face, as this generation, is the fact that we have to look for other methods, other systems, and other tools to enable us to reduce this homelessness. I think central to this is a partnership with people who will join hands with Government to ensure that the value of the resources that are provided by Government is added to by those who invest in housing.
I am also shocked to hear what Mr Maluleke is talking about. He spoke about the Giyani project and complained that this project was affected by storms.
Mr G B D McINTOSH: Mr Chairperson, is the Minister prepared to take a question?
The MINISTER: No, Mr Chairperson.
The hon member from the DP has come up with an input, 75% to 80% of which is quite incorrect and distorted. [Interjections.] Firstly, it is not true that I made a statement in March 1999 saying that half of the houses built were substandard. That is incorrect. He is putting words in my mouth. That was the report by the media. We took them up on that, and they came back to tell us that they were not aware of the fact that they were coming up with a statement that was incorrect. Secondly, it is not true that the majority of the houses that we are producing are substandard, because, if that were true, the statement made by Mr Lee that we spent only a third of the R40 million that is in the budget of the registration council would be different. If we had that much of a problem, we would have used the R40 million and would have needed more money to deal with these substandard products. So, we do not have substandard products.
However, we do have problems in the environment where we are provided with substandard projects. In those instances, the numbers are far apart. We have gone to the registration council to assist us to go back to those developers to correct the anomaly. So, it is not true that we are producing substandard structures.
But it is also not true that the houses affected by floods in Giyani were affected because of that problem. He is relating facts about a project which had problems. The Department of Housing in the Northern Province has started dealing with the problem with developers. That is an issue of corruption. If one goes back to that area, one will realise that we do have RDP houses that were not affected by that storm of 18 December that year. So, his facts are distorted, and we do not need Themba Sono to confuse us, because I do not think he understands the housing policy. We will deliberate with him as soon as he understands the housing policy.
I would like to thank all those hon members who have participated in the debate. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
House adjourned at 16:37.
__________
ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
MONDAY, 22 MAY 2000
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:
- The Speaker and the Chairperson:
(1) The following Bill was introduced in the National Assembly on 22
May 2000 and referred to the Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) for
classification in terms of Joint Rule 160:
(i) Local Government: Municipal Electoral Bill [B 35 - 2000]
(National Assembly - sec 75) - (Portfolio Committee on Home
Affairs - National Assembly) [The Bill has been fast-tracked -
see Announcements, Tablings and Committee Reports, p 410.]
(2) The Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) on 22 May 2000 in terms of
Joint Rule 160(3), classified the following Bill as a section 75
Bill:
(i) Identification Amendment Bill [B 33 - 2000] (National
Assembly - sec 75) - (Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs -
National Assembly).
(3) The Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) on 22 May 2000 in terms of
Joint Rule 160(4), classified the following Bills as section 76
Bills:
(i) Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences
Amendment Bill [B 31 - 2000] (National Council of
Provinces - sec 76) - (Select Committee on Public
Services - National Council of Provinces).
(ii) Road Traffic Management Corporation Amendment Bill [B 32 -
2000] (National Council of Provinces - sec 76) - (Select
Committee on Public Services - National Council of
Provinces).
(4) The following changes have been made to the membership of Joint
Committees, viz:
Improvement of Quality of Life and Status of Women:
Discharged: Abrahams, L A.
Improvement of Quality of Life and Status of Youth, Children and
Disabled Persons:
Appointed: Dithebe, S L.
(5) The following papers have been tabled and are now referred to
the relevant committees as mentioned below:
(i) The following paper is referred to the Portfolio Committee
on Finance and to the Select Committee on Finance:
List of Shareholders of the South African Reserve Bank as
at March 2000.
(ii) The following papers are referred to the Portfolio
Committee on Environmental Affairs and Tourism and to the
Select Committee on Land and Environmental Affairs:
Report of the Department of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism for 1999-2000 [RP 68-2000].
(iii) The following papers are referred to the Portfolio
Committee on Trade and Industry and to the Select Committee
on Economic Affairs for consideration and report:
(a) Constitution of the United Nations Industrial
Development Organisation (UNIDO), tabled in terms of
section 231(2) of the Constitution, 1996.
(b) Explanatory Memorandum to the Constitution.
National Assembly:
- The Speaker:
The following changes have been made to the membership of Committees,
viz:
Arts, Culture, Science and Technology:
Appointed: Dithebe, S L.
Defence:
Appointed: Fazzie, M H (Alt).
Environmental Affairs and Tourism:
Discharged: Rockman, G.
Health:
Appointed: Twala, M (Alt).
Labour:
Appointed: Moropa, R M.
Discharged: Abrahams, L A.
Private Members' Legislative Proposals and Special Petitions:
Discharged: Rockman, G.
Provincial and Local Government:
Appointed: Dithebe, S L (Alt).
Public Service and Administration:
Discharged: Rockman, G.
Safety and Security:
Appointed: Morobi, D M; Ndou, R S (Alt).
Discharged: Vilakazi, M I.
Sport and Recreation:
Appointed: Moropa, R M.
Discharged: Goosen, A D.
Transport:
Appointed: Fazzie, M H.
Discharged: Rockman, G.
Welfare and Population Development:
Appointed: Kasienyane, O R.
Discharged: Morobi, D M.
TABLINGS:
National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:
Papers:
- The Speaker and the Chairperson:
Report of the Auditor-General on the Secret Services Account, the
Related Departmental Accounts and the Security Services Special Account
for 1998-99 [RP 125-99].
- The Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology:
(1) Government Notice Number 1466 published in the Government
Gazette No 20692 dated 10 December 1999, Amendment of Item 8 of
Government Notice No 1584 of 4 October 1996, made in terms of
section 10(2)(a) of the National Monuments Act, 1969 (Act No 28 of
1969).
(2) Government Notice Number 127 published in the Government Gazette
No 20705 dated 10 December 1999, Board Notice No 127 of 1999, made
in terms of section 11(7) of the Pan South African Language Board
Act, 1995 (Act No 59 of 1995).
(3) Government Notice Number 128 published in the Government Gazette
No 20705 dated 10 December 1999, Designation of a Provincial
Language Committee: KwaZulu-Natal, made in terms of section 8(8)
of the Pan South African Language Board Act, 1995 (Act No 59 of
1995).
(4) Government Notice Number 52 published in the Government Gazette
No 20820 dated 28 January 2000, Designation as a conservation
area: The Air Force Base Swartkop in Pretoria, made in terms of
section 5(9) of the National Monuments Act, 1969 (Act 28 of 1969).
(5) Government Notice Number 83 published in the Government Gazette
No 20837 dated 4 February 2000, Approval of official places names
by the National Place Names Committee.
(6) Government Notice Number 158 published in the Government Gazette
No 20877 dated 18 February 2000, Application for registration of
heraldic representations and objections thereto, made in terms of
section 7A and B of the Heraldry Act, 1962 (Act No 18 of 1962).
(7) Government Notice Number 159 published in the Government Gazette
No 20877 dated 18 February 2000, Registration of heraldic
representations, made in terms of section 10 of the Heraldry Act,
1962 (Act No 18 of 1962).
(8) Government Notice Number 160 published in the Government Gazette
No 20877 dated 18 February 2000, Registration of heraldic
representations, made in terms of section 10 of the Heraldry Act,
1962 (Act No 18 of 1962).
National Assembly:
Bills:
-
The Minister of Public Works: (1) Wetsontwerp op die Raad vir die Bou-omgewing [W 16 - 2000]
The Council for the Built Environment Bill [B 16 - 2000] (National Assembly - sec 75) was introduced by the Minister of Public Works on 6 April 2000 and referred to the Portfolio Committee on Public Works.
(2) Wetsontwerp op die Argitektuurprofessie [W 17 - 2000]
The Architectural Profession Bill [B 17 - 2000] (National Assembly
- sec 75) was introduced by the Minister of Public Works on 6
April 2000 and referred to the Portfolio Committee on Public
Works.
TUESDAY, 23 MAY 2000
TABLINGS:
National Assembly and National Council of Provinces: Papers:
- The Minister for Provincial and Local Government:
Reasons for declaring a state of disaster in the Province of KwaZulu-
Natal in terms of section 2(1) of the Civil Protection Act, 1977 (Act
No 67 of 1977).
- The Minister of Housing:
The Report of the Department of Housing for 1999 [RP 74-2000].
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
National Assembly:
-
Report of the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry on the UNIDO Constitution, dated 23 May 2000:
The Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, having considered the request for approval by Parliament of the Constitution of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), referred to it, recommends that the House, in terms of section 231(2) of the Constitution, approve the said UNIDO Constitution.
Report to be considered.