Towards the development of a White Paper on Human Settlements | Western Cape Government

Towards the development of a White Paper on Human Settlements

2016
(Western Cape Government)
Summary

The National Department of Human Settlements would like interested members of the public to add their inputs and suggestions to the draft White Paper on Human Settlements. The White Paper will be a fundamental policy document that carves the development path and subsequent implementation of Integrated Human Settlements in South Africa. It is important to note that this is an opportunity to influence national Human Settlements policy making and the opportunity to review such policy only arises every 10 years. All inputs can be sent directly to mypolicy@dhs.gov.za on or before 31 March 2016.


Delegates at a White paper Workshop

In the first ten years of democracy, a policy direction aimed at redressing Apartheid-created imbalances was set. Ten years later, in 2004, the Cabinet adopted the Breaking New Ground: Comprehensive Plan for the Development of Sustainable Human Settlements as the new strategy for the delivery and development of sustainable human settlements. The time has now come to consolidate and build on the solid foundation laid in the past 20 years.

The Minister for Human Settlements, after consultation with Cabinet, the Portfolio Committee for Human Settlements, the Members of the Executive Council (MEC), the Mayors and other stakeholders and in terms of section 2(b) of the Housing Act 107 of 1997 will issue a draft White Paper on Human Settlements which will be informed by the policy proposals detailed in the discussion document (i.e. The document currently has no status – it is used to facilitate discussion and solicit input for the development of the white paper on human settlements). After the first phase of the consultative process the discussion document will be refined and submitted for approval as a draft policy.

The publishing of the draft White Paper on Human Settlements will signal the beginning of a discourse and an extensive public consultative process that will culminate in the development of a Human Settlements Act and a White Paper on Human Settlements.

On approval of the White Paper on Human Settlements and the Human Settlements Act, a notice for repealing the Housing Act 107 of 1997 in its entirety including the 1994 White Paper on Housing will be issued.

Consultative process on the discussion document on Human Settlements

A series of consultative engagements have been held with targeted structures which include government, government agencies, non-governmental organisations, private sector, academia, civil society, professional bodies, etc. in all provinces.

The objectives of the consultative process are as follows:

  • To obtain specific policy insights on the shortcomings of current policies and programmes;
  • To solicit inputs on what the policy must address;
  • To ensure the participation of stakeholders in the development of the white paper;
  • To mobilise various role-players to support the development of the policy.

As part of the first phase of the consultative process the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements hosted two engagements with different stakeholders in order for them to give input into the drafting of the White Paper on Human Settlements. The first provincial engagement was held on 23 & 24 November 2015 and it was attended by 110 national and provincial departmental, municipal and sector department officials.

The second engagement was a stakeholder roundtable dialogue held on 04 February 2016 which was attended by 60 members of civil society, private sector, government entities, agencies and partners engaged in human settlements related work. The aim of the roundtable dialogue was to solicit inputs which will be incorporated into the draft White Paper on Human Settlements.

Should you have any queries, inputs and/or suggestions, please send them to:

Email: mypolicy@dhs.gov.za

Please review the Draft White Paper and provide your inputs. Additional reading material is also provided.

The content on this page was last updated on 18 March 2016