Minister Madikizela's Remarks at KwaNokuthula Housing Handover

Western Cape Human Settlements Minister, Bonginkosi Madikizela, delivered an address at the handover of government housing units in KwaNokuthula Housing Project, Plettenberg Bay. The project will consist of 610 houses when finished, with a total cost of R65.6 million. Approximately 19 houses are complete today, have passed the quality inspection tests and are ready for handover.

A total of 215 houses have been finished in the project. Minister Madikizela said, "I get very worried when politics and service delivery are confused. Housing delivery is a national programme, driven by Outcome Eight of the National Department of Human Settlements. The national backlog is about 2.1 million. The Western Cape backlog is around 500 000. Some people have to wait 30 years for their houses nationally. In the Western Cape, we are making sure that the people who really need houses are getting them. Today, you are some of these people who don't have to wait anymore."

"Government works in partnership between national, provincial and local government. Local government submits the housing plans, provincial government approves them and national government supplies the funding."

"Housing delivery has nothing to do with politics. In areas where service delivery is happening, that's where demonstrations happen. Demonstrations happen when people compete for limited resources where service delivery is happening because government is doing its job. Politics and personal power struggles mustn't stop the government from doing its job and halting delivery. When we all share a common vision we can work better to deliver."

"We cannot create human settlements alone as the government. We need everyone's input to work together and as partners we can do things better together."