Hon Chairperson and Deputy of the NCOP, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon members of the House, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I am very pleased to be
with you this afternoon as the country is about to conclude the birthday celebrations of one of the greatest and finest sons the world has ever produced, Isithwalandwe, UTata Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.
I am certain that this is not a coincidence that we have gathered here today, to debate about basic human rights which are matters that were very close to his heart. President Mandela knew that our country will never be entirely free unless all our people live in harmony, with equal opportunities and especially that all their basic rights are adhered to, like a decent shelter for all and a right to clean water and sanitation.
In order to substantiate my comment, I will quote what he said, when he was officially opening Vulindlela Water Supply Scheme in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal on 21 March 1998, I quote:
On this day we reaffirm the lesson of our centuries of struggle, that there can be no lasting peace, no prosperity in our land unless all enjoy freedom and justice as equals.
On this day we rededicate ourselves to the defence of the human rights which are guaranteed in our constitution, the basic law
of our land. And we recall our pledge as a nation that never again shall one be oppressed by another.
Our experience, and the experience of all humanity, also tells us that our rights will remain without their real substance unless there are real improvement in the lives of our people.
It is as if he knew that on this day during his birthday month we shall gather here and discuss human rights issues so that all our people, black and white, especially, the poor and vulnerable could walk tall with pride and dignity and say, Africa is free; South Africa is free and so we are. Our people are now impatient; they want to see change in their lives.
Hon chairperson, on behalf of the people of the province, the home of legends, I would like to express my gratitude for the speed in which hon Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation, has moved to consult with all the provinces' various stakeholders and partners to craft a way forward immediately after she was appointed by the president of the Republic.
As a result of this, when we were here in the National Assembly to witness and support her presenting a Budget Vote, we were confident
that there was a clear way forward with regards to the implementation of human settlements, water and sanitation programmes. The leadership of our democratic government has worked hard to improve lives of our people in the above regard.
The improvement was done within a short space of 25 years, as against the mess that was caused by one of the cruelest regimes the world has ever seen for centuries. The Eastern Cape provincial government commits to be working you, hon Minister and your collective in support of Cabinet as you transform the system and democratise water sector.
We need to speedily change the current picture. Our country and its people cannot afford to see the current situation where 95% of licensed water volume remains in the hands of white commercial farmers. What can black emerging farmers do with 5% of water volume? Most of these black emerging farmers reside in the most rural provinces like Eastern Cape. Furthermore, it is a cause for concern that over 3 million people do not have access to basic water supply and 14,1 million do not have access to sanitation.
The majority of these are in the townships, rural areas and small towns. We appreciate the fact that our government is working
tirelessly to change the situation, and we acknowledge that there is more than R53 billion to address water infrastructure and sanitation. However, there is still more to be done in this regard. Water infrastructure and sanitation need more budget.
Your passion in partnering with private sector and other important partners will surely assist to a great extent. The provincial government of the Eastern Cape is very excited that the department, amongst other projects that is intending to implement, is UmZimvubu Water Project to revive UmZimvubu Dam. We really applaud you Minister and your department for this progressive initiative.
In the same vein, we appreciate that there is a move to approach Cabinet to declare all major dams the national key points. This is indeed a good move. Hon Chairperson, in the context of human settlements in province for this current financial year, we have decided to implement the broader policy priorities of the sector by focussing on the following:
We will up scale the housing opportunities with special focus and prioritisation of destitute, vulnerable groups and military veterans and by enhancing human settlements with social amenities and also do registration and issue title deeds to homeowners. Concerning youth
and women empowerment, we will increase the empowerment opportunities for small, medium and micro enterprises, SMMEs.
We will also strengthen community education and awareness on various housing instruments and the continuous use of application of alternative and innovative building technologies. Furthermore, we will uncompromisingly create opportunities for women in the area of construction of human settlements in the province. We have set a target of 30% for women in our delivery plans to ensure fair representation of women contractors. [Applause.]
The provincial government also appreciates the fact that it has been identified for catalytic projects which as of now, are pilot projects. One of our catalytic projects is Zanemvula Housing Project in Port Elizabeth which consists of the following: The Chatty with 491 units, which is meant for military veterans; Chatty extension 3 and 4 with 1 687 units; Jachtvlagte, with 553 units; Chatty extension 5 and 15, with 1 060 units; Despatch Florida Heights Mixed Node with 639 units and Uitenhage Doornhoek, with 40 units.
Out of this total of 4 270, we have already completed 2 029 units. Hon Chairperson of the NCOP, the apartheid spatial planning tried on dividing our people along racial lines. In the Sixth Administration,
our provincial government will build integrated communities where there is no exclusive residence for blacks and whites. The province aims at using available parcels of state land to develop integrated human settlements with all the necessary amenities including schools, clinics and sporting facilities.
To get the desired outcomes from the undertaking, the provincial government ill fix local government sphere. We have an urgent task of building the capacity at our local level of government in such a way that it is able to serve as the spearhead of effective and efficient service delivery. In this way, the province is going to improve the lives and sustainability of Operation Masiphathisane towards a ward-based model of development.
In order to achieve the above, the provincial government will ensure that it addresses both administrative and political instability which we see as the root cause of challenges facing our municipalities. Furthermore, provincial government will support municipalities in planning, budgeting and integration of intergovernmental infrastructure project pipelines.
Hon Chairperson and hon members, looking at the above mentioned programme of action, it is clear that we are faced with a mammoth
task and we are confident that the department will do what is supposed to do with the magic that we are having within us as leaders of Tata Nelson Mandela. We dare not fail. Let us epitomise Tata Nelson Mandela and make a difference in people's lives.
Hon Chairperson of the NCOP, the Eastern Cape Province supports the budget of Human Settlements and the budget of Water and Sanitation Departments.