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8 April 2008

Program Director
National Minister of Housing Dr Lindiwe Sisulu
Premier of Limpopo Province Mr Sello Moloto
Executive Capricorn District Mayor Mr Motalane Monakedi
Executive Mayor of Polokwane Mr Thabo Makunyane
Comrades
Distinguished guests
Members of the advisory panel
Colleagues from government
Friends from the media
Ladies and gentlemen

The country's transition from apartheid colonialism to democracy ushered in a democratic government led by the African National Congress (ANC) that laid a foundation to eradicate the legacy of the past.

In the next two days we will be commemorating the 15th year of the passing on of one of the greatest revolutionary ever produced by the liberation movement, Comrade Chris Hani who laid his life for us to be free. His death has not been in vain and may his soul rest in peace.

The Group Areas Act systematically ensured separate geographical development of communities along racial lines, the Separate Amenities Act ensured that social amenities were to be enjoyed along racial lines, to name a few.

The Freedom Charter for which Chris Hani, Oliver Tambo and many other revolutionaries died for states that "there shall be housing, security and comfort for all".

The fundamental challenge facing us is to restructure the space, the places we live in, to make aggressive inroads into the space economy.

The reality is that most subsidised housing projects are located in peripheral locations, vergenoeg, thereby reaffirming the apartheid spatial patterns and creating new inequities.

This forces communities to spend more money and energy required by the economy, commuting long distances from their homes to their places of employment.

The Department of Local Government and Housing which I am privileged to lead, has put various measures in place to ensure that households which ordinarily will not be able to afford housing in strategic locations due to the dynamics of the land market, are able to do so.

Mechanisms are also in place to support the functioning of the entire residential property market in order to reduce duality within the sector by breaking the barriers between the first economy residential boom and the second economy doom.

The department is committed, through development of Integrated Sustainable Human Settlements to ensuring social restructuring by promoting a mix of races and classes within our developments.

It is through integrated sustainable human settlements that the broad governmental objective of promoting social cohesion can be achieved.

To many poor households and many middle income households who work in Polokwane and live in rural areas and surrounding townships, some as far as over hundred kilometres from Polokwane, the idea of residing in a suburb like Bendor remains a distant dream. These are the people who voted in their numbers for a better life.

The ANC-led government is capable and willing to bettering the lives of our people. Bendor, perhaps after Sterpark is the most upmarket suburb in Polokwane. The residents of Bendor are therefore well off.

The department identified and acquired this piece of land (seventeen hectares) on the site where we are today for the development of a classical Integrated Sustainable Human Settlement.

The development will cater for the housing needs of households across all housing income brackets.

The project consists of the development of 661 high density housing units of which 198 will accommodate households earning below R3 500 per month, 174 will accommodate the housing gap market such as teachers, police, nurses and so on, in line with our Honourable Premier's State of the Province Address, while 289 will accommodate the upper end of the housing market.

The importance of partnership in the housing delivery value chain cannot be overemphasised.

The department has partnered with Thubelisha and the National Finance Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC) for the development of this project.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Local Government and Housing, Limpopo Provincial Government
8 April 2008