Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, it has become a natural trend that houses rapidly deteriorate owing to poor workmanship and poor quality in many areas in our country.
In the 1985 uprising we fought against these "pondokkies" [huts], but we are still finding them today in the areas in which we grew up. We need to restore the dignity of our people. We need to stop building houses like in Soul City and Dakota in the Northern Cape. We need to start building decent houses for our people.
It is high time that government gets serious about bridging the divide and creating communities in which the rich and the poor can live side by side. I hope that the government and the ruling party can change this policy. Stop building 40m2 houses and start building 74m2 houses so that people can have some dignity. [Interjections.]
Bou huise waarop mense kan trots wees en wat as sekuriteit by die bank kan dien. [Build houses that people can be proud of and that could serve as security at the bank.]
We need to build sustainable housing that is energy efficient.
Hou op om swak gehalte materiaal, swak balke en sinke te gebruik. Te veel sand word saam met die sement gebruik - tien kruiwaens sand en een sak sement - die huis sal nie so hou nie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Stop using materials of poor quality, such as beams and corrugated sheets of poor quality. Too much sand is being used when mixing the cement - ten wheelbarrows of sand and one bag of cement - the house will not last this way.]
Emphasis must be placed on integrated human settlements.
Bou ten minste 'n waardevolle huis. [At least build a decent house.]
These settlements must include infrastructure such as roads, transport, electricity, water, refuse removal, community facilities, schools, shops and recreational areas.
During the public hearings on this Budget Vote it was discovered that the Rural Housing Loan Fund, that claims to be a "national wholesale housing institution", had failed the rural community dismally in terms of its disbursements and geographic allocations. With regard to its national loan assistance budget, the fund gave 0% to the Northern Cape; 3% to the Free State; 6% to Limpopo; and 8% to the Eastern Cape. The bulk of the loan fund was utilised in Gauteng, which received 31%. We must start getting serious about the country and we must start getting serious about the people of South Africa in order to uplift them. Thank you. [Applause.]