SA Affordable Housing September / October 2020 | Page 9

NEWS
Minister Sisulu addresses National
Assembly regarding Human
Settlements Development Bank
LN Sisulu, MP, Minister of Human Settlements, Water and
Sanitation made a speech on the occasion of the debate on
the Human Settlements budget vote in the National
Assembly, Cape Town. The commentary at the end is SA Affordable
Housing’s editorial comment.
“We chose several sites, among them Cosmo City, Fleurhof,
Olievenhoutbosch and Savanna City in Johannesburg; Zanemvula
in Port Elizabeth; and Cornubia in Durban. We endorsed them to
test our policies, the market and whether the private sector had
the appetite for joint projects with government. The results were
simply amazing. It showcases what is possible while catering
primarily for our major client – the indigent at the lower end of the
social ladder.
“We used the concept of catalytic projects because, starting
from a low base of resources, we worked to partner with the private
sector to fund our projects and to turn these into integrated living
spaces, consisting of all amenities required by communities,
including business centres and industrial zones.
“Despite these achievements, we remain with a registered
backlog of 2 356 025. South Africa has been instrumental in
the conceptualisation of human settlements and we have a
responsibility to stay ahead in our implementation. It is working
for us because it caters for the injustices of our spatial patterns.
Success is in sight. Our biggest challenge remains the demand for
housing that far outstrips delivery and the stubborn separateness
of our past. Our catalytic projects, which are our new cities, cater for
that in some measure. *In the next five years we have determined
to declare 94 priority development spaces for human settlements
development, multi-programme delivery integration and spatial
transformation and consolidation.
“The draft legislation determines that no land will be
expropriated for any other reason, except for the public interest.
I cannot see that there is any greater public interest than what we
represent at Human Settlements. It should therefore be possible
for us to be the first to benefit from this legislation.
“We want to renew our social compact with the banks to
revitalise the FLISP programme, which has had very little uptake.
EDITOR’S COMMENTS
The Minister is to be commended for a positive and encouraging
speech. *The enhanced type is our addition.
The issue of affordable housing remaining undefined in this
country must be seen as including informal settlements, firsttime
homebuyers and allow for DIY housing. A recent CAHF
webinar reinforced the DIY concept in Kenya and Rwanda and
encouraged innovation.
The department needs to consider some major factors in
implementing any form of building:
1. The HSDB needs to be run by qualified bankers in the private
sector to avoid a VBS Bank scenario. This also speaks to other
eNCA
LN Sisulu, MP, Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation.
banks and financial institutions that have fallen to predators
who care nothing for the people.
2. Any house, no matter how built, must be subject to
compulsory standards as required in the National Building
Regulations, SANS 10400 as well as DWS SANS 10252 part
1&2 and SANS 10254 and other compulsory standards. These
standards exist for the health and safety of people.
3. The assurance that these are being adhered to is the
responsibility of the Building Control Officer and his/her team.
Sadly, this division does not always perform to the task, as
has been shown by past building disasters. Early Cosmo City
comes to mind where both houses and plumbing were of the
lowest quality causing residents’ discomfort, while operators
fled never to be found again.
4. The Minister’s comments around Councillors engaging and
Councils having oversight of such housing is essential and, in
some cases, have shown to be sorely lacking in this regard as
have the local Council departments.
5. The process of acquiring land, permissions, and the various
processes a developer must go through are arduous. These
processes must be streamlined if the Minister wishes to fast
track building. It does not help when one process stops or
slows another. Here, SAARDA plays a critical role.
6. Innovations are to be encouraged and if a SA National
Standard (SANS) does not exist or accommodate the
innovation, Agrément SA should be approached who can
provide a fit-for-purpose certificate. Agrément SA needs
to raise its profile somewhat! In other words, nothing
should go into any building that does not have some form
of local certification.
7. We advise against converting all processes to an IT platform.
Though the perception exists that IT is the solver of all
problems, most of the time it has small and large gremlins that
cause more delays than efficiencies.
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