SA Affordable Housing January / February 2018 // Issue: 68 | Page 16

EVENTS
Construction Company, Distinctive Choice, walked away with
the Best Emerging Woman contractor award and came second
in the Best Emerging Youth contractor.
Minister Sisulu with Lifetime Achievement award recipient,
Sophia Williams-de Bryun.
She further appeals to the private sector to strengthen
partnerships with the department, so that they can help
with the transformation of society. Deputy Minister Zoe
Kota-Fredericks said that the annual Govan Mbeki Awards
is used as a mechanism to ensure correct action is taken by
all stakeholders in human settlements.
“We insist on quality products. Our work as a sector has
improved and we hope that government will not deal with
shoddy work any longer. We want our people to give us
something that could be turned into a home,” Deputy
Minister Kota-Fredericks said.
AWARD WINNERS
Two Lifetime Achievement Awards were bestowed upon
anti-apartheid activist and the last living leader of the
1956 Women’s March, Sophia Williams-de Bruyn and the
late Treason Trialist Ahmed Kathrada. In her acceptance
speech, De Bruyn urged citizens not to take freedom for
granted and stand up for human rights. “It’s time to put
people at the centre, especially the vulnerable. I accept
this award on behalf of women who worked very hard for
freedom,” says De Bryn.
Winners in various categories included the Belhar
Gardens Rental Estate from the Western Cape, which
walked away with Best Social Housing Project. LLG Project
from Govan Mbeki Municipality in Mpumalanga scooped
the Best Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Project, while
Savannah City in Gauteng was named the Best Integrated
Residential Development Project.
Human Settlements manager from Govan Mbeki
Municipality, Stan Mzobe, asserts that their success is due
to team work between the municipality, Human
Settlements Department and service providers. “This
award is for the community of Govan Mbeki Municipality.
We are living up to the name of the awards,” he says. The
project is responsible for converting 384 hostels to family
units in Embalenhle Ext 8.
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JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2018
AFFORDABLE
SA HOUSING
The Govan Mbeki awards are held to stimulate best
performance in the sector.
Guests waited patiently to see who would walk away with the
top prize.