Hon Speaker, in his state of the nation address, the President said that while many South Africans celebrate the delivery of houses, electricity or water, there are yet many others who are still waiting. The legacy of decades of apartheid underdevelopment and colonial oppression cannot be undone in only 17 years. [Interjections.]
Order! Order!
We are forging ahead, determined to achieve our mission of building a better life for all.
The ANC welcomes the accreditation of eight municipalities to level 2 status by the Minister of Human Settlements, Tokyo Sexwale. These metros are Johannesburg, Tshwane, Nelson Mandela, Cape Town and eThekwini, as well as two district municipalities in the Northern Cape, Frances Baard and Pixley Ka Seme.
Accreditation involves the progressive delegation and eventually the assignment of certain defined functions in relation to human settlements programmes to local government. This opens up the opportunity for these municipalities to take responsibility for their own housing projects, thereby cutting out bureaucratic hurdles. It will shift the onus from provinces to these municipalities.
It is hoped that by awarding this enhanced status to these municipalities they will speed up delivery and improve quality control. The municipalities must now get on with the job. The ball is in their court. I thank you. [Applause.]