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Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System Date: 15 Oct 2008 Title: Limpopo makes huge strides in housing delivery -------------------- The Department of Local Government and Housing in Limpopo has taken calculated steps to increase the number of formal houses in the province over the last three years, writes Proffesor Ndawonde. The national Department of Housing has built approximately 2.6 million houses since 1994 and Limpopo has made a great contribution to this figure, by building over 300 000 houses. According to the Statistics South Africa's (SSA) Community Survey 2007, formal housing in Limpopo has increased to 968 696 and the number of informal and traditional dwellings has declined to 108 954. In the previous financial year, the department managed to spend 100 percent of the Housing Grant Budget, an achievement which has caught the attention of the National Minister of Housing Lindiwe Sisulu. Minister Sisulu was prompted to increase the department's grant budget by R300 million for this financial year. The provincial department, who previously held the title of one of the worst performing departments in the country, was acknowledged when it received the Best Provincial Housing Department of the Year Award for 2008. The award is proof that the department had made every effort to transport service delivery. The National Govan Mbeki Housing Awards held in Durban by the National Department of Housing last week, honours stakeholders in the housing industry that have committed to partnering with government in building sustainable houses and making the Millennium Development Goals achievable by 2014. Deputy Director General for Department of Housing, Joseph Leshabane told BuaNews that the provincial department had been performing exceptionally well in terms of housing delivery in the past three years. "Limpopo was one of the worst provinces in terms of service delivery but that had dramatically changed. This actually shows that the [Limpopo] provincial government has been working hard to ensure that services were speedily delivered to the public," he explained. Mr Leshabane said the national department has introduced various programmes, to assist the provincial departments, such as the Operational Capital Budget Programme which aims to support the implementation and manage approved provincial housing programmes, projects and priorities. In terms of the improvement of quality of life and development of the economy, the department affirmed that more than 82 percent of the people in Limpopo have access to electricity. Limpopo remains a water scarce province, however, the department has deployed more resources, particularly to the Municipal Infrastructure Grants towards bulk water supply and reticulation. The department said despite these challenges 72.8 percent of the population has access to clean piped water and several dams have been completed, and others were under construction, to ensure that local citizens have access to clean water In terms of Infrastructure Development and Investment for service delivery, the department plans to spend over R3.6 billion towards Municipal Infrastructure Grants, R1 billion for rural electrification and over R600 million for municipal support, townships establishments and site demarcations over the next three years. On annual basis the department has also created close to 2000 jobs, to fight poverty in the province, through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). This programme aims to create additional work opportunities for a minimum of one million people (at least 40 percent women, 30 percent youth and 2 percent disabled) in South Africa between 2004 and 2009. The department further said it would continue to assist municipalities with revenue enhancement strategies so that more revenue can be collected to increase available resources for service delivery. "As part of this we are assisting municipalities to implement the Property Rates Act through development of valuation rolls, aerial photography, by-laws and rate policies," the department said. In her Budget Vote address in May 2008, the MEC for Department of Local Government and Housing, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said her department was mindful of the fact that citizens wanted to see their government in action. "We believe through our actions we have been able to turn the tide. Our overall performance in the area of local government shows that, even in the face of some mounting challenges, we are making progress," she said. She said the survey by the SSA paints a picture of remarkable improvement in the quality of life of people in the province and that the department has made significant progress in arresting the cycle of poverty and underdevelopment. "These achievements are milestones that point to one thing, the tide has turned. We've overcome most of our challenges and are now geared to consolidate our performance. Our destination is clearer," the MEC said at the time. - BuaNews |
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