Hon member take your seat.
The MINISTER OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS, WATER AND SANITATION: We are
taking advantage of the 4IR to overcome some of our problems. We will for instance embrace this to ensure that we use satellite technology and as such to make sure that have real time information on the ground. This will be a design for purpose which we can measure the quality of the work of the projects that we are dealing with. It will also reduce the incidents of bad workmanship and we will be able to see where land is invaded and act decisively on time. [Interjections.] No, you are not going to invade no where.
I am therefore establishing a fully fledged and skilled and capacitated ICT Management Unit with the required innovative software and technology that will assist me to do this and assist the municipalities to ensure that their land is not invaded. Within the next year, we will ensure that we have digitalised our entire platform of projects in order for persons to access all relevant information and we will make this available. We will ensure that we place the details of beneficiaries in the public domain, in a similar way as the matric results were once done, so that anybody who is on the
list is able to check how far they are. This will help us reduce corruption which is part of the problems that we have been experiencing, especially in the awarding of housing units.
We would be able to cut down on our turnaround time by 50% if we increase the use of this technology. We want our municipalities to be responsible to issue notices of illegal invasions and follow the law even when we have discovered invasions. We will partner with the private sector to assist where land is available for people to build their own houses. This will ensure that the programme is properly managed and that due skills assistance and training is given to people who are willing and able to build their own houses. This is a programme we would like to work on an urgent basis to assure our people that we are making an attractive proposition to them. We want to renew our social compact with the Banks to revitalise the Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme, Flisp programme and I have been informed that the Minister of Finance has asked us to stop using these acronyms and make our terminology more user-friendly. The Flisp is, help me buy a house.
We want to revitalise this programme that helps people to buy their houses. This is largely meant to help first time buyers and will benefit greatly government employees, a sector very much in need of our support. The Human Settlements Development Bank should be part of the banks supporting the housing market. The HSDB will be failing in its responsibility if they do not do so. I give them six months to ensure that the bank is fully functional and accessible for all those who require loans to build or buy houses. [Applause.] Just a few days ago I handed over some title deeds at Cornubia in Durban and I resolved that my Deputy Minister and I will spend every Friday as a special day to hand over title deeds. [Applause.] I am sure that in this way, between me and Deputy Minister Pam Tshwete we would be able to clear the backlog in the next two years. [Applause.] After the event on Friday I received a message through social media that has helped me to refine my thoughts around the title deeds. The message was that it would be important for people with title deeds to be assisted to write a will to ensure that the asset that they are given is assisted by creating a will to be attached to it. Remember, when the owner of the house dies, there is a great deal of disputes within the families and our
courts are not geared to deal with these family housing problems.
These are our successes and our successes continue. We have had serious failures, fraud, corruption and slow delivery. You read about these on a regular basis. We are daily experiencing protests. This is where we need the support of everybody to help keep us constantly accountable. This is why I am here very happy to report to you our successes and say to you we are ready and able to account for any of our failures.
Because of the huge pressure we have around housing, people sporadically go out in protests out there. We will take it to the media and assure them that we have taken a decision and sesifikile. We will create an environment very similar to the Fifa World Cup to make sure that we take them out of their misery
Members of Parliament, thank you very much. Chairperson, thank you very much for the opportunity. [Applause.]