Speaker, die Departement van Menslike Nedersettings se nuwe holistiese benadering tot die skep van volhoubare behuising is sinvol. Hierdie departement het wesenlike uitdagings en daarom is dit goed om te sien dat daar nouer saamgewerk gaan word met provinsies en plaaslike owerhede, ten einde die komplekse probleem van behuising aan te spreek.
Die VF Plus wil graag die volgende sake, wat 'n wesenlike invloed op begroting en diensverskaffing het, onder die aandag van die Minister bring.
Eerstens, behuising is 'n multi-dimensionele probleem vanuit 'n groeiende gemeenskap met 'n aanvraag wat alle redelike vermo tot lewering oorskry. Die departement se strategiese oorsig noem dan ook dat deel van die departement se verantwoordelikheid die geweldige groei van informele nedersettings is. Behalwe vir natuurlike aanwas is die grootste drywer agter di groei die porieuse toestand van ons grense en die toestroming van onwettige immigrante na Suid-Afrika en nie, soos die Minister voorheen genoem het, die onwettige uitsetting van plaaswerkers nie.
Ek is bly die Minister het die misverstand met my partyleier, die Adjunkminister van Landbou, Bosbou en Visserye, Dr Pieter Mulder, uitgeklaar. Om die onbeperkte groei van informele nedersettings aan te spreek, sal die Minister en sy departement eerder met die departemente van Binnelandse Sake, Verdediging en Polisie moet konsulteer. Hulle moet dan 'n interministerile plan opstel, ten einde die invloei van onwettige immigrante te stuit en slegs di te huisves in terme van ons internasionale regsverpligtinge. Dit is 'n saak wat met die nodige politieke wil en fokus aangepak moet word.
Tweedens wil ons die Minister vra om ook ag te slaan nie net op die skep van nuwe behuising nie, maar ook op die instandhouding van bestaande maatskaplike behuising. In daardie verband sal dit sinvol wees vir die departement om te skakel met plaaslike owerhede, en veral die metropolitaanse owerhede in Gauteng, rakende die instandhouding van maatskaplike behuising wat aan hulle behoort.
Gedurende die tydperk waarin ek as raadslid in die Johannesburgse metropolitaanse owerheid gedien het, het ek seker 80% van my tyd gewy aan probleme met betrekking tot hierdie tipe behuising, wat in die meeste gevalle alles behalwe leefbare wooneenhede is. Dat die munisipaliteite traag is om hierdie behuising te onderhou, is inderdaad 'n oorskatting. Daar bestaan so te s geen politieke wil tot onderhoud nie, in so 'n mate dat telkens met hofsake gedreig moet word om dienslewering te verseker. Ons vra, derhalwe, dat die Minister ook hieraan aandag sal skenk.
Derdens, van die metropolitaanse owerhede het ook besluit om van die maatskaplike behuising aan bewoners te verkoop. In Johannesburg is hierdie koopkontrakte al sedert 2000 met inwoners gesluit, maar tot op hede is nog nie een stuk behuising se titelakte oorgedra nie. Die verskoning wat Johannesburg Metro aanbied, is bloot dat hulle nie geld vir oordragte van behuising het nie. Dit is onaanvaarbaar en ons wil van die Minister weet of hy ook op 'n holistiese basis regoor Gauteng provinsie hieraan aandag kan skenk. Verdere vertragings in hierdie verband sal lei tot openbare opstand en regsaksies, wat teenkonstruktief sal wees vir alle partye hierby betrokke, maar meer so vir die regering.
Laastens, die VF Plus wil die Minister en sy departement gelukwens met hul suksesse in die stryd teen korrupsie. Dit is inderdaad 'n bemoedigende teken. Ons wil ook die Minister se aandag op 'n verdere vorm van misdaad vestig. Raadslede het, ten einde polities-gedrewe demografiese verskuiwings te maak, op 'n bedrieglike wyse onontwikkelde grond wat nie aan hulle behoort nie aan ongesofistikeerde, arm mense verkoop, waar hulle hul dan gaan vestig, met informele nedersettings as die eindresultaat. Dit blyk landwyd 'n groeiende probleem te wees. Dankie. (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Adv A D ALBERTS: Speaker, the new holistic approach by the Department of Human Settlements to create sustainable housing is significant. This department is facing real challenges and it is therefore good to see that there will be closer co-operation with the provinces and local authorities, in order to address the complex housing problem.
The FF Plus would like to bring to the Minister's attention the following matters, which have a real influence on budgeting and service delivery.
Firstly, housing is a multidimensional problem of a growing community with demand exceeding all reasonable means of delivery. The department's strategic review therefore also mentions that part of the department's responsibility is the enormous increase in informal settlements. Besides natural growth the biggest force behind this increase is the porous condition of our borders and the influx of illegal immigrants to South Africa and not, as the Minister mentioned previously, the illegal eviction of farmworkers.
I am glad that the Minister has resolved the misunderstanding with my party leader, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Dr Pieter Mulder. In order to address the unlimited growth of informal settlements, the Minister and his department will rather have to consult with the Departments of Home Affairs, Defence and Police. They will then have to draw up an interministerial plan in order to stem the influx of illegal immigrants and to accommodate only those to whom we have international legal obligations. It is a matter that should be approached with the necessary political will and focus.
Secondly, we would like to ask the Minister to pay attention not only to the creation of new housing, but also to the maintenance of existing social housing. In that regard it will be sensible for the department to liaise with local authorities, and especially the metropolitan authorities in Gauteng, as regards the maintenance of social housing owned by them.
During the period in which I served as councillor for the metropolitan authority of Johannesburg, almost 80% of my time was dedicated to problems with regard to this type of housing, which in most instances are living units that are not at all fit for decent living. The fact that municipalities are slow to maintain this type of housing is indeed an understatement. In fact, there is no political will to maintain these houses, to such an extent that the threat to take legal action is often used to ensure service delivery. We therefore request that the Minister also pay attention to this matter.
Thirdly, some of the metropolitan authorities have also decided to sell off certain social housing units to dwellers. In Johannesburg these deeds of sale were concluded with inhabitants from 2000, but up to now no title deed of a single housing unit has been transferred. The excuse used by the Johannesburg Metro is simply that they do not have funds for the transfer of housing units. This is unacceptable and we would like to know from the Minister whether he will also pay attention to this matter on a holistic basis across the Gauteng province. Further delays in this regard will lead to public revolt and legal action, which will be counterproductive for both parties involved, but even more so for the government.
Lastly, the FF Plus would like to congratulate the Minister and his department on their successes in the fight against corruption. This is indeed an encouraging sign. We would also like to draw the Minister's attention to another type of crime. In order to make politically driven demographic shifts, councillors have sold undeveloped land, which does not belong to them, in a fraudulent manner to unsophisticated, poor people who then go and settle on the land, resulting in informal settlements. This seems to be a growing problem across the country. Thank you.]