Subsidised Housing Delivery: briefing by Statistics South Africa

Meeting report

HOUSING PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
14 September 2004
SUBSIDISED HOUSING DELIVERY: BRIEFING BY STATISTICS SOUTH AFRICA

Chairperson: Ms Z Kota (ANC)

Documents handed out:
Statistics South Africa briefing: Human Settlement and Poverty Challenges for SA - Evidence from Census Surveys and a Development Index Fund:
Part - 1
Part - 2
Part - 3
Part - 4

SUMMARY
Following concerns raised by the Committee in a meeting with Statistics South Africa (SSA) on 18 August 2004, the Statistician General, Mr P Lehohla was invited to address the Committee on the impact of government's initiatives on subsidised housing delivery. It became clear that the type of information sought by Members was not readily available from SSA. It wanted to assess the impact of government housing policy on South Africans' quality of life. However the Statistician General committed SSA to rectifying this situation and to present the required information to the Committee as soon as possible.
the impact which government's initiatives have had on subsidized housing delivery.

MINUTES
Statistics South Africa briefing
The Statistics South Africa (SSA) delegation consisted of Mr P Lehohla, Statistician General, Ms T Daniel, Information Officer, and Mr W Jacobs, Senior Statistician

Mr Lehohla explained that they intended to have the entire country with registered addresses by 2008. This was very important to economic statistic development. Quoting from an extract by Goldin, he said that it should be borne in mind that poverty is not just about numbers extracted from surveys but about people and the way it affects their daily lives. He noted that in terms of a broad based population structure South Africa consists of young people and its economic community is still very much fragmented. He thus called on everyone to look very carefully at the issue of human settlement and in addressing it a number of variables should be taken into account (see presentation).

Discussion
Mr G Schneemann (ANC), noting that apartheid placed people far away from their places of work, asked whether government's housing projects addressed this or exacerbated it.

Mr Lehohla noted that although they are still busy assembling the data on this point, the socio-political dynamics involved in locating a house relative to one's place of work should be appreciated. It should be noted that other people might prefer to have houses built in places where they would eventually retire. Nonetheless, 1.5 million houses were built between 1996 and 2001 and the number of households dramatically increased from 9 million to 11.5 million during this period. SSA would provide the Committee with a detailed report whether people's lives have improved and whether the project building people's houses relatively closer to their places of work is successful.

Mr Schneemann (ANC) asked whether SSA conducted regular surveys on the impact of government housing policy on South Africans' quality of life that might be accessible to Members.

Mr Lehohla responded that notwithstanding the fact that their surveys have not really focused on the quality of life brought about by government housing policies, a strategy has been developed to engage the Director-General of Housing in tracking this venture. Therefore as soon as they developed such a survey, it would be made available to the Members.

Mr A Steyn (DA) asked whether SSA could confirm whether economic opportunities trigger people's reaction to migration.

Mr Lehohla answered that SSA worked closely with the Department of Housing in ensuring that a mechanism to monitor and collate information in this regard is developed. As soon as the information regarding group migration is collated it would be made available.

Mr Schneemann (ANC) noting that the President three years ago announced, amongst others, thirteen rural nodal points, asked whether there was any system in place to monitor the impact which the development of these nodal points can have on migration patterns in South Africa.

Mr Lehohla said the time had arrived that these nodal points be revisited and restudied using the same instruments that were used three years ago when they were launched. This has been pointed out to the Director-General of Housing. Amongst other things the government can employ the measures noted in the Urban Function Index (UFI) on an annual basis to determine whether these rural nodal points could be changed and moved within the space economy. This should be done with the understanding that the purpose is to have people moving out of big cities to smaller cities and in order to accomplish that there should therefore be some benefits to entice them. He said that it should be noted that at present there are indications of this happening as people were leaving Gauteng to work in places like Polokwane, Rustenburg and the likes.

Mr B Dhlamini (IFP) noted that there is a perception that there are bigger and better opportunities in bigger cities and people migrated to these cities. He asked whether is it correct for government to assume that there is no need to built permanent dwellings in these cities but only rental stalls as it perceives people to be only there for a short period.

Mr Lehohla said that the perceived benefits are debatable and as such it needs to be studied very carefully. He said that the lesson learnt from other countries, including Brazil, is that people did not really want to rent but wanted to save enough money so that they could built comfortable homes in their places of retiring. Therefore, since this a complex matter, an empirical study would have to be undertaken taking note of experience in Kenya where people refused to leave their shacks for rental houses.

Mr Steyn (DA) asked for clarity on what SSA meant by the term 'traditional' dwellings.

Mr Lehohla responded that a reference to 'traditional dwellings' referred to ancient rondavels with a thatched roof.

The meeting was adjourned.