Address by Mpumalanga MEC for the Department of Human Settlements, Madala Masuku at the Public Participation event at Oakley - Bushbuckridge
12 November 2009
Bushbuckridge Executive Mayor, Clr M Morema
Ehlanzeni District Deputy Mayor, Clr S Khumalo
Members of the Mayoral Council
Councilors
Bushbuckridge Municipal Manager
Acting HOD, Mr C.T Dlamini
Officials from both the Provincial and Local Government
Government Stakeholders
Representatives from the Local Disability Form
Bushbuckridge residents
Hina va Ndzawulo yaku tshamisiwa ka vanhu ha mi xeweta
vaaki va Bushbuckridge. Hi ti twa hi kurisiwile ku va hi ri kona eka ndzhawu
leyi ku ta vulavurisana na nwina. Hi tile la ku ta hlangana na nwina mayelana na
vukorhokeri lebyi khumbhaka vutomi na matshamelo ya nwina tanihi vaaka
tiko.
The government of the day has underpinned its operations
as a government that:
- Cares,
- Serves and
- Belong.
This is exactly why we are gathered in this manner today.
This week has been declared for Public Participation Engagements. Such activity
remains central to governance as it brings government closer to the people.
This uniquely South African platform has over the years
assisted communities to raise issues and share their views. This platform is
part of the varied methods that government uses to better understand the needs
of the people. Today, the Department is launching the Campaign on the
identification of People with Disabilities who have housing needs. The exercise
which started few weeks ago seeks to establish the extent of the needs on the
ground and develop a provincial database.
As embedded in the Freedom Charter that,
there shall be Houses, Security and Comfort! The guiding document of the ruling
ANC, crafted some decades ago, clearly spells it out that:
- All people shall have the right to live where they
choose, be decently housed, and to bring up their families in comfort and
security;
- Unused housing space to be made available to the
people;
- Slums shall be demolished, and new suburbs built
where all have transport, roads, lighting, playing fields, crèches and
social centers;
- The aged, the orphans, the disabled and the sick
shall be cared for by the state;
Achievements
The Department of Human Settlements has made significant
progress in housing delivery through various programmes and instruments during
the 2008/09 Financial Year. 15 181 families were housed, out of 15 181 housing
units that were delivered against the target of 14 821 set out in our plans.
Despite some challenges, the department remains poised to deliver quality
services and accomplish its mandate. The underlying goal is to ensure that
services are delivered to the maximum benefit which the resources will allow.
Our achievements were, however, met with challenges that
needed collective vision in delivering on our mandate.
In partnership with different stakeholders, the department
will ensure that all people with disabilities have access to adequate housing
and other services. It is within this background that the Department is
launching this provincial campaign to identify people with disabilities
with housing needs and to ensure that a decent and safe housing is provided for
them, as the Freedom Charter dictates. The
People with disabilities have been and continue to be
isolated from the mainstream of service delivery including housing delivery. The
campaign will consist of identification and analysis of existing and projected
housing needs for people with disabilities; declaration of resources such as
financial stability; accessibility of sites and type of disability.
Past discrimination disparities and imbalances continually
affect mainstreaming of target into service delivery structure, including
government departments. People with disabilities are excessively and unfairly
represented in all spheres of life. This leads to a variety of social problems
including accessibility to houses. Accessible housing is
essential for people with disabilities to live independently and have
self-directed lives in their communities
Future plans
The new mandate will require the Department to refocus in
delivering sustainable human settlements in an integrated manner. During the
2009/10 financial year, the Department’s focus will be mostly concentrated on
winding up of the historical efforts to deliver houses, paying special attention
to the finishing up of all abandoned and unfinished projects of the previous
financial years. This will have to include the needs as informed by the database
– an exercise which will be carried out to other parts of the province in the
outer years.
As part of correcting the past, in the true spirit of
creating social cohesion within communities, the department plans to build six
social and economic facilities namely, Community Halls and Child Care
Facilities, etcetera at Mbombela, Bushbuckridge, Nkomazi, Emalahleni, Govan
Mbeki and Mkhondo municipalities. It is pleasing to note the change in thinking
or our approach when it comes to human integration is poised to advance the
rolling out of these amenities. To this end, such facilities and the housing
needs as we have been informed by the database collection will go a long way in
assisting the department to plan accordingly moving forward.
Let me commend the patriotism and understanding shown by
the people of Bushbuckridge for not following the band-wagon of rioting when
raising their concerns with government. Over the last few months, the province
has been under severe turmoil from ill-discipline people who claim to be holding
government accountable. There’s a common adage that says – Two wrongs do not
make a right. It is puzzling to understand as to how communities can be so
violent the way they have been in are like Standerton, Piet Retief and Balfour
amongst others. Maybe their concerns are genuine – but their
actions were totally unjustified.
Today’s engagement is aimed at engaging the communities of
government delivery in the past few years. Government needs to partner with
communities around the country to form stronger and active partnership with
government to accelerate the implementation of programmes in the Programme of
Action.
Let us use this opportunity to speak out on issues of
concern and find an amicable way of addressing them. People are also encouraged
to explore avenues like the recently launched Presidential Hotline where
concerns are registered. All departments will be expected to respond within
three days.
Hi tshembha leswaku nhlangano lowu wu ve wa nkoka na swona
wu ta tswala mihandzu leyinene, na marito ya hina na nwina ma twakarile
swinene.Hi rhamba ntirhisano eka vaaki leswaku hi khomisana
na nfumo eka vukorhokeri bya tiko ra hina. Hi nga rivali leswaku I nfumo wa hina
hinkweru.
Khanimamba
Issued by: Human Settlements, Mpumalanga Provincial Government
