ANC vision remains unity in diversity
THREE weeks ago in the course of a community engagement I made the announcement that we plan to build 500 houses in the Phoenix area.
This has caused much excitement among the people. Not surprisingly it has also elicited some desperate noise-making from an opposition party. Five hundred new homes will be built in Phoenix. Professionals are currently busy with land audits and packaging.
Phoenix is one of our country’s most densely-populated townships. Like Chatsworth, it has changed from an Indian township to one in which all our communities now “live, work, play and pray”. As Phoenix has grown, space is at a real premium.
However, the advice from our built environment professionals, from surveyors to architects, is that 500 new houses are possible. Remember, they will be spread over all five Wards, on average 100 per ward. We have also commenced discussion with developers to use land allocated to them by the city. We anticipate finalising the precise land parcels by the end of September.
Let me challenge a claim that South Africans of Indian origin do not benefit from housing programmes. The contrary can be seen in Welbedacht, Riverside Park (Umzinto), and flat upgrades in Isipingo, Shallcross and Phoenix. Most tenants in the about 2 000 units built by private developers on state land are Indians. Our Enhanced Extended Discount Benefit Scheme has written off balances and given free transfer of houses to thousands of beneficiaries.
The Cornubia project will ultimately have 25 000 units across various housing instruments (RDP, Gap Market, Serviced Sites). All communities will benefit.
We have to craft a shared vision for the development of all our communities. While we take much pride in that KZN has been the best-performing province in human settlements delivery for several years now (140 000 houses built in five years), there remains a significant backlog.
We have some 230 000 households in informal settlements in eThekwini alone. This must factor in the rate of urbanisation, an international phenomenon. We have already implemented a policy shift to devote an even larger percentage of our budget to the eradication or upgrading of informal settlements.
Rental
We are simultaneously developing a strong pipeline for rental stock. We must however state our concern at the frequent attempts to undermine the discipline of rental payments. We are determined to stand firm against this.
There are exciting possibilities on the horizon with regards to the Gap Market. Private developers have shown interest in producing houses in the R200 000 to R600 000 range.
We are also pleased that several banks have indicated a readiness to partner with government and private developers to unlock the potential of this housing instrument. Allied to this is our programme to provide 10 000 serviced sites in the medium term.
We have also agreed to work with community organisations in developing plans for an oldage home and frail care facility in Phoenix.
Two weeks ago I visited the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital to inspect excess land on its northern boundary. I was accompanied by our MEC for Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, who has agreed in principle to make that land available for such a facility. The proposal will now go into a feasibility process.
We do all this work in the context of our National Development Plan (NDP), which strives to achieve a united non-racial and non-sexist society.
The NDP provides a noble and powerful vision which includes developing active citizens, building a capable state, growing our economy, and most importantly, maintaining, deepening and strengthening our unity in diversity.
There are and will continue to be many challenges. That is the nature of life and indeed history. Let us be inspired by our achievements as South Africans. In this month of July, Mandela month, let us remember and learn from his extraordinary example and counsel.
On August 3, we will elect councillors who will hold office for the next five years. Opposition parties have already publicly conceded that they have no hope of winning the eThekwini Municipality.
The ANC has put forward credible ward councillor candidates in areas in which POST has a significant readership.
These candidates are Myrtle Beaunoir, Ronnie Veeran, Falakhe Mhlongo, Mala Moodley, Shane Hansraj, Sunil Brijmohan, Glen Naidoo, Brandon Pillay, Sharmaine Morar, Fawzia Peer, Mahmood Amra, Jakes Singh, Saroj Kandan, Themba Mtshali, Sade James, Nadia Phiri, Sthembiso Zulu and Allison Govender.
I urge you to support them and vote for them.