Enkosi. [Thank you.] Madam Deputy Speaker, the establishment of viable and sustainable human settlements is critical in achieving human dignity for our people and in creating opportunities for individual citizens to be productive and healthy.
The Department of Human Settlements is tasked with the co-ordination of building sustainable human settlements. Despite some positive moves to root out corruption in this field, it is faced with a severe lack of skills in the housing governance sector. During the 2009-10 financial year, the department invoked sections 26 and 27 of the Division of Revenue Act by directing funds from the Eastern Cape and the North West. It transferred R52 million from the North West to the Northern Cape, whilst R270 million was transferred from the Eastern Cape to Gauteng, the Free State and Mpumalanga. This occurred because the two provinces, the Eastern Cape and the North West, lacked the necessary skills and capacity to deliver the houses that they were expected to deliver.
House-building skills are something that the ANC government needs to take very seriously. If the ANC cannot deliver the houses which have been budgeted for, then it cannot be considered to be a party that lives up to its promises to the poor. I thank you. [Applause.]