Committee Reports on Western Cape Visit, Norway & Netherlands Study Tours & Housing Budget hearings

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Meeting report

HOUSING PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
14 September 2005
COMMITTEE REPORTS ON WESTERN CAPE VISIT, NORWAY AND NETHERLANDS STUDY TOURS AND HOUSING BUDGET HEARINGS

Chairperson
: Mr Z Kota (ANC)

Documents handed out:
Committee Report on Western Cape visit
Committee Report on Study Tour to Norway and the Netherlands
Committee Report on Housing Budget Public Hearings, 12-13 April 2005
[available shortly at
Committee Reports]
Recommendations arising from the three Committee Reports (see Appendix)

SUMMARY
The Committee reviewed the Western Cape Visit Report, the key findings of their study tour to Norway and the Netherlands, and the Housing Budget Public Hearings Report.

Members raised concerns that related to the format of the reports, the lack of feedback in terms of previous proposals, the authority of the reports once adopted, the progress of the Stellenbosch Municipality on the creation of a disaster management plan, and the proposed renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Norway.

MINUTES

Committee Report on Western Cape Provincial Visit
The report outlined the recommendations formulated by the Committee after the visit. The recommendations for the Stellenbosch Municipality included the request for an investigation into the provincial housing backlog, the need for an assessment of the provincial housing strategy, an assessment of the disaster management strategy and an inquiry into how golf estate developers interact with the Municipality. The recommendations for the City of Cape Town included a request for information about a disaster management strategy and a request for information about the number of temporary structures built in Langa to accommodate fire victims.

Committee Report on study tour to Norway and the Netherlands
The report outlined the key points arising from the study tour. They included the need to renew the Memorandum of Understanding between South Africa and Norway, the intent of the Committee to host the International Housing Conference with Norway (NBBL) and the proposal that Mr Le Roy Tandy visit Parliament on his return to South Africa.

Committee Report on Housing budget hearings
The Committee did not discuss the draft recommendations in detail. The draft included recommendations from the Committee for various housing institutions. These institutions included Servcon, Thubelisha, the National Home Builders Registration Council, the National Department of Housing, the Peoples Housing Partnership Trust, the Rural Housing Loan Fund, the Social Housing Foundation, NURCHA and the National Housing Finance Corporation. Each institution received approximately four recommendations.

Discussion
Mr G Schneeman (ANC) asked if the recommendations were internal findings or if they had been published in the Announcements, Tablings and Committee Reports (ATC). Ms Z Kota (ANC) replied that the reports and their recommendations had not been published in the ATC but they would be after their adoption by the Committee.

Mr A Steyn (DA) asked that proposals 1, 2, 3 and 4 be packaged into one general recommendation for the Western Cape Provincial Visit Report.

Ms B Dambuza stated that the Committee must follow-up on the funding proposal for addressing the housing backlog to see if it had been implemented. She also asked for recommendations to include a request for information about any negotiations between the Municipality and golf estate developers regarding private land acquisition by the developers. Ms Kota replied that the Committee had recommended a land audit.

Mr Schneeman asked if the recommendations would be binding for local government once they were officially adopted. He asked what the implications would be once the report was adopted. Ms Kota was unsure about this query.

Mr Schneeman said that he was not sure if there had been sufficient feedback with previous reports and requested that the Committee rigorously follow-up the recommendations. He suggested that the recommendations include a point that highlighted this concern.

Mr Steyn replied that if the recommendations were adopted then a response was required but that the onus was on the Committee to follow-up.

Ms Kota stated that the adoption of the report must be concluded by the end of October. Mr Steyn agreed and stated that the process would become problematic if it lapsed into 2006.

Ms Kota stated that there should be feedback to Parliament about a community outreach programme that would allow the community to have ownership of the disaster management strategy.

Mr Steyn said that the wording of the recommendations needed to be more specific in some cases.

Mr Schneeman questioned the need for including a recommendation that requested information about the number of temporary structures built in Langa. Mr Steyn agreed and suggested that a progress report be commissioned to assess the development of those people that had received housing.

Ms Dambuza stated that there were a number of hostels that were present in the area affected by the recent fire and asked for a progress report on the status of these hostels and if they had been converted to family units. She also asked if there was a plan in place to address the influx of people from rural areas.

Ms Kota replied that this was not an issue for the report as the influx of people was a result of poverty in the rural areas. It was not within the scope of the Committee to deal with this broad issue. Mr B Dlamini (IFP) said that a plan still needed to be formulated because the problem was significant. Ms Kota replied that the Committee would deliberate on the matter at a later date.

Ms Kota stated that the recommendations should be tabled with the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) so that they could be adopted in other provinces. She also said that the Disaster Management Bill should be tabled at some stage.

Mr Schneeman stated that the public hearings report referred to institutions who reported directly to the Minister of Housing. He suggested that it would be more appropriate to summarise the findings of the report and send these to the Minister as this would carry more weight. Ms Kota replied that the goal of the report was to direct the attention of housing institutions to relevant issues. She endorsed the proposal offered by Mr Schneeman.

Ms Kota stated that the decision to renew the MOU with Norway was probably an Executive decision and that this matter would need to be deferred until clarification was obtained. Mr Steyn replied that the Committee could still suggest a renewal to the Executive Authority if necessary.

Mr Schneeman stated that an agreement had been reached with the Norwegian authorities to encourage exchange programmes pertaining to co-operation and social housing. He suggested the recommendations include a separate point to illustrate this consensus.

Mr Steyn suggested that points 4, 5, 6 and 7 be deleted and that a reference should be made to the progress of the Social Housing Bill. Ms Kota agreed that the points should be deleted.

Ms Kota suggested a recommendation be included which addressed starter funding and operational costs for housing initiatives. Ms Dambuza added that the Social Housing Bill should incorporate provisions for the creation of a housing bank.

Mr Schneeman stated that issues relating to the Social Housing Bill should be excluded. He recommended stating that the Department should investigate the funding mechanisms that support social housing institutions and their applicability to the South African context.

The meeting was adjourned.

Appendix:
REPORT ON THE WESTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL VISIT BY THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HOUSING, UNDERTAKEN ON 25-26 JANUARY 2005

RECOMMENDATIONS

A) Stellenbosch Municipality

1. What is the progress report on zone J and zone 0?.

2. What is the housing backlog and the housing strategy in Stellenbosch?

3. What strategy do they have in terms of preventing fires (disaster management strategy)?

4. What value in terms of housing do we get from the golfers? What is their land use plans for the municipality?

 

B) The City of Cape Town

5. Does the city of Cape Town have a disaster management plan? What is their plan to bridge the gap of community participation e.g. fire hydrants?

6. How many temporary structures have been built in DeIft, in Langa? What is the plan to place the victims of fire?

  1. How far is the process of objections on Epping land? What has the City of Cape Town planned?

 

 

REPORT ON THE HOUSING BUDGET PUBLIC HEARINGS HELD AT THE TOWNHOUSE HOTEL, CAPE TOWN ON 12-13 APRIL 2005

RECOMMENDATIONS

SERVCON

The Portfolio Committee would like for Servcon to meet the 2006 deadline. Servcon should strengthen their relationship with the provinces in order to meet the deadline.

1. The Portfolio Committee also needs a progress report regarding the insitu rightsizing.

2. What is going to happen to the personnel employed by Servcon?

3. What is the new mandate of Servcon?

 

THUBELISHA

1. How has Thubelisha re-positioned themselves in terms of the new comprehensive housing plan?

2. How far is Thebuelisha in terms of right-sizing?

3. How is Thubelisha going to open new offices before approval of the new mandate?

4. What is the National Department of Housing's view in terms of the new projects?

 

NATIONAL HOME BUILDERS' REGISTRATION COUNCIL (NHBRC)

1. Does NHBRC have a register of complaints received in terms of the "bad builders"?

2. How far has NHBRC implemented their innovative strategy?

3. How far are they with their outreach progr

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