Chairperson, it is a pity that when we were dealing with the mandate the chairperson of the standing committee in the Western Cape was not present, otherwise he would have known that all the concerns that have been raised were clarified by the legal representatives, and everyone on the committee agreed. I think it is important that when we deal with clause 7(6), now that they are next door here, they should come over because it is very near, so that we could interact together with what is in front of us.
As the ANC, we continue to better the lives of our people in this country, hence this legislation. This legislation is really long overdue, because the need for separating the management and governance aspects from the current Act is necessitated by the fact that the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform's mandate does not extend to dealing with problems arising from schemes' governance or complaints from the public.
The Bills we are debating today are part of new legislation that is much needed to provide improved living conditions for our people. It is our strategy to ensure that all issues related to human settlement, including sanitation, are driven, co-ordinated and managed by the Department of Human Settlements. The Sectional Titles Schemes Management Bill is very important in that it will regulate the relationship between sectional owners and other holders of rights in the sectional title scheme in their management of the Section Titles Act and common property.
Chair, an ever-increasing proportion of housing is being developed in the form of community schemes. Community schemes include sectional title schemes, share block companies, homeowners' associations and housing schemes for retired persons. In community schemes, much of the governance to maintain buildings and to ensure safety and harmonious living in the blocks is done by the community involved. This means that there is shared financial responsibility over the property, the land and the facilities of the common living area. Therefore, this piece of legislation is imperative.
Because this involves control and administration of finances, facilities and behaviour, community and sectional titles schemes often cause problems and disputes among the community. To ensure that our people live better together, we have to put in place legislation and regulations that ensure the effective resolution of disputes whenever they arise. Currently, there is no effective and affordable dispute resolution mechanism available to parties involved in community schemes. The Bill will establish in the community an ombud service to address this need, something the chairperson and Deputy Minister have already raised.
In the case of both Bills, we have to keep in mind the overall objective of the Department of Human Settlements and to establish and facilitate a process that is sustainable and that provides access to affordable homes within the context of sustainable human settlement and economic opportunities for all.
South Africa is the only country in the world that offers housing under the ANC leading the country, and that needs to be commended. If you compare it to other countries, like Brazil, for instance, the ANC has moved a great deal in this area. The United Nations, UN, global report on human development attests to this. Our people have to be taught and learn that rights go hand in hand with responsibilities, hence the resources that are used are meant to be safeguarded in line with our democratic gains.
Our vision, as the ANC, is that of the profound transformation of society. We know that political transformation without economic emancipation is meaningless. That is why we need to commit to economic freedom in our lifetime, and the ANC will always be at the forefront of that economic transformation. The ANC is best placed to carry out this next phase of developing and transforming our cities, towns and villages, because of our values, principles, policies and what we have learnt from our experience in government.
In conclusion, the next step now will be to look at the e-housing concept, which simply means access to Internet connectivity through installation of wireless infrastructure. This will lead to digitised communities and work towards building an inclusive information society.
We need to move away from simply building houses for the poor and work towards more united, nonracial and integrated communities across our cities and towns. The ANC supports these two pieces of legislation. I thank you, Chair. [Applause.]