Committee Programme: discussion

Meeting report

HOUSING PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
11 September 2002
COMMITTEE PROGRAMME: DISCUSSION

Chairperson: Ms Z Kota (ANC)

Documents handed out:
None

SUMMARY
The discussion on the briefing session with stakeholders as stipulated on the agenda did not take place. Rather, Members raised issues of concern with the provisional programme for the Committee up until 10 January 2003.The Committee made a few changes to the programme and discussed how they would tackle the various areas of concern. Study tours within the country and outside South Africa were also discussed.

MINUTES
The Chairperson noted that the Minister of Housing would brief them on the WSSD. Depending on the Minister's availability, the briefing could take place on the 1 October 2002.

The Chairperson said that the Western Cape study tours had been approved. All Members were welcome to take part in the tours. However, the tours and the various other projects could not be done during the constituency period, which has been scheduled from 30 September 2002 until 11 October 2002.

The Chairperson then opened the floor for discussion by highlighting that the issues around WSSD focusing on housing had delved on the monitoring and implementation phases.

Discussion
A Member asked if the Wallacedene housing committee could be requested to come and brief them about the current housing situation in the Wallacedene area and how far they have progressed on housing issues in that area.

Ms M Maine (ANC) said she felt that the Housing Portfolio Committee was not visible. Their tasks seemed overwhelming in many respects, and not just in terms of the housing backlog.

The Chairperson said that in view of the floods in the Western Cape, money needed to be allocated to build houses.

Mr G D Schneemann (ANC) highlighted that the principles of the WSSD's agenda were important and that they would need one whole day to get into them.

The Chairperson agreed to schedule a full day workshop to address the WSSD's Agenda 21.

Mr G D Schneemann (ANC) spoke of his concerns about the recent court ruling on evictions. He requested that the committee should get some briefing from the department of housing on these issues.

Ms M A Seeco (UCDP) requested that the Committee be briefed on the housing programme. The 1994 backlog worried her immensely. What was even more disturbing was the issue that the contracts signed with the housing contracts are said not to have included any completion dates on the contracts. These contractors were paid but the jobs have not been completed and their contracts do not bind them to any completion date.

Mr S E Pheko (PAC) wanted clarity on the implications of the Westbank Cape Town houses having been handed back to the previous owners. He said this was causing chaos and suggested that the Committee look at this issue subjectively, objectively and humanely because the people involved are destitute and have become victims. He continued to say that the Committee needed to look at how it could help out in this situation.

Mr B Dhlamini (IFP) wanted the upgrading of hostels in general to be addressed. His main concern was the hostels in Gauteng. He said that some hostels house as many as 3100 families. These hostels were not built to accommodate family units. The upgrading of these hostels is said to have begun four years ago, but to date they have not been completed. The conditions of these hostels are appalling and there seems to be no clear policy addressing this issue.

Mr Pheko requested that the Department concerned be asked to come and brief the Committee regarding the upgrading or renovation of these hostels, and the pace, budgeting and commitment of these projects. He further went on to voice his concerns about the hostels in the city of Johannesburg. He said that after 1994 these hotels were the concern of the Provincial Housing Department. They were then given into the care of the Public Works Department. His concern is that these depleted hostels now accommodate 20000 to 25000 people in the city. In addition to this, shacks are mushrooming all over in the city. He said that hostel redevelopment needed to be addressed urgently.

Ms C I Gcina-Ledwaba (ANC) requested a briefing from the stakeholders in Port Elizabeth. She said the rural areas in Port Elizabeth, namely Fish Corner and Sea view, have no houses, electricity and the taps are far. The municipality was approached but it sent no representatives to see the living circumstances in the mentioned areas.

The Chairperson said that a number of areas need their attention, and hence suggested that they set aside a date for public hearings to take place. They would then call officials to come and update the Committee on what is happening in detail. Half a day was proposed for this event.
The hostel issues would need to be dealt with in a different manner.

Ms M M Ramakaba-Lesiea (ANC) voiced her concerns about the backlog regarding people who had been evicted from houses when their husbands or the breadwinners died, and were forced to live in backyards. Children were growing up in these backyards. She suggested that councilors in these areas be called in to brief them about how they are handling these issues.

The Chairperson suggested that the Committee assigns tasks to those Members of Parliament from the Eastern Cape to go to the municipalities of these particular areas.

Mr G D Schneemann (ANC) requested that when hostels are visited, privately owned hostels should be included. He said that privately owned hostels were owned by companies and had not been upgraded since 1994. He claimed to know of such hostels in the Randfontein area that needed attention.

Ms J Semple (DP) mentioned that some people stayed in SAPS hostels in Thokoza and Germiston, and refused to move out.

The Chairperson proposed that Members from the Gauteng Province meet amongst themselves to try and arrange a meeting with the Gauteng MEC. They should see if the MEC would accord them a hearing together with the council so that at the end of the day there can be healthy interaction amongst the stakeholders.

Mr G Schneemann (ANC) requested that the Committee formally write to the MEC and the hostels must be identified in the letter.

The Chairperson suggested that they get together before Wednesday 18 September 2002 to write this letter. With regards to the Eastern Cape issues, she would with the Eastern Cape MEC and Mrs Gana. She further suggested that they could all, as the committee, visit the places of concern in the Western Cape, but they would need to interact with the Unicity as to when their visit would be taking place.

Mr T Lee (DP) said they would need to get details as it was being said that there are people that own more than one house, that are involved in subletting these houses.

The Chairperson proposed that they write to the Oostenberg municipality informing them of the irregular tendencies that have been identified, and that the committee wants to find out how the municipality intends handling these cases. The Chairperson highlighted that a lot of the issues raised actually tied in with the Committee's proposed programme.

With respect to Bills, the Chair noted that the meantime the Committee would deal with legislation as it comes.

With regard to the study tours they wanted to take, they had been told there was no funding. The proposed destinations of Cuba and Indonesia were too expensive. She proposed that Members suggest other countries in Africa that could provide a valuable comparative study around the handling of housing issues. She discouraged visiting Namibia and Zimbabwe by saying that these countries had similar housing policies to South Africa and would offer no useful comparative study.

Ms J Semple (DP) picked Egypt and Nigeria. She said she was particularly impressed with the way that Egypt had cleaned up its slum areas.

Members supported the idea of visiting Egypt as a study tour pending the availability of funds.

Mr G D Schneemann (ANC) suggested that instead of all Committee Members visiting the one country, Egypt, the Committee could rather split up and have some Members visiting Nigeria and send the others to Egypt. He maintained that this would give a broader view of the good practices of African housing experiences.

Mr Dhlamini (IFP) added that he supported a study tour in Egypt because of the problems Egypt had experienced in the urban areas and the costs of their buildings and the building materials that they used. He continued to say that in Nigeria he was interested in finding out how that country was dealing with its squatters. Mr Dhlamini than added a third country, Senegal. He proposed that Members would benefit from a study tour in Senegal that would highlight how Senegal has addressed rural housing issues.

The Chairperson promised Members that she would find out if there were any funds available for study tours to these African countries.

The meeting was then adjourned.