Chairperson, hon Minister and members, at the Polokwane Conference in December 2007, the ANC noted that South Africa has entered its second decade of freedom with the strengthening of democracy and the acceleration of the programmes to improve the quality of life of all the people. The following resolutions were therefore taken: firstly, to develop appropriate legislation to prevent the mushrooming of informal settlements and, secondly, that in order to deal effectively with the challenges of human settlement, land acquisition be accelerated through a dedicated housing agency.
The establishment of the Housing Development Agency must be seen in the context of the provisions of the Constitution which, in section 26, clearly states that everyone has the right to have access to adequate housing and that the state must take reasonable legislative and other measures within its available resources to achieve this.
In 2004, the government introduced a comprehensive plan for the creation of sustainable human settlement. This plan aims to allow for immediate short and medium-term interventions on the supply side of housing in South Africa. Some of the main focus areas of the plan are to provide a variety of housing options in well-located areas and to identify and unlock any existing housing delivery constraints. The acquisition, holding and the release of land as well as the slowness in the development of land are currently the biggest causes of the slow delivery of housing. The size of the housing backlog in South Africa requires that we start thinking outside the box to find new and innovative ways in dealing with this backlog.
On the aims and functions of the Housing Development Agency Bill, the Minister of Housing said it best in her speech to the National Assembly on 8 May 2008 when she said, and I quote:
...the Housing Development Agency Bill establishes the Housing Development Agency as a statutory body, and its main purpose is to address, one, the shortage of well-located land; two, the facilitation of the rapid development of sustainable human settlements by proactively improving intergovernmental relations across all three spheres of government in respect of ensuring that needed inputs are delivered; and, three, addressing the supply of much-needed project management capacity for government projects.
The rationale behind the agency is that it would assist in cutting red tape that prohibits the acquisition of suitable land, something that would be very difficult for municipalities or provincial departments to do on their own. The agency will also aid with minimising red tape in the approval of development both by government and the private sector. This, in turn, should make the housing segment attractive for increased private sector investment. After all, the private sector is a very important key player in the provision of safe, affordable housing to all South Africans.
The agency will facilitate the acquisition of land in a way that supplements the capacities of government across all spheres. Municipalities will be expected to use their housing sector plans to identify local housing land needs. The provincial housing departments will be responsible for assisting local authorities in developing their land needs assessments and in co-ordinating individual municipal submissions into a provincial plan.
The Minister further said, and I quote again:
The Bill provides for an agreement between the agency and municipality where a council lacks the capacity to acquire, hold and develop and release land for residential or community development. Such an agreement will also allow the HDA to undertake these tasks on behalf of the municipality. The agency will also be empowered to assist municipalities to complete unfinished projects and the Bill provides for the facilitation of project management.
This is not a new concept. Governments in countries such as Namibia, India, Sri Lanka, China and Malaysia have established similar housing agencies. Since the Bill was referred to this House, provinces have embarked on extensive programmes of consultation through public hearings. In the Free State, public hearings were held in all its regions. In the Eastern Cape, public hearings were held in 32 locations. In Mpumalanga, public hearings were held in five district municipalities. In Limpopo, public hearings were held in five regions, to mention a few.
The issue that needs special attention and which was not addressed by this Bill is the strategic role that traditional leaders can play in this matter. This matter was raised by all the provinces during the negotiating phase of this Bill. A further issue that was raised by the committee was the relationship with the making of regulations. Here the committee strongly felt that Parliament has a role to play and should therefore be consulted.
Chairperson, the ANC supports the Bill. I thank you. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
Voting deferred.