Deputy Speaker, we have introduced various housing programmes to meet the different and very diverse needs that we have in South Africa, and we continue to roll these out. They entail the provision of housing subsidies that we give mainly to the very poor people in this country. We do so by making sure that the provision of serviced sites that we have around the country, in particular for the informal settlements, need to be attended to. We look at the rural housing loans that we give to many of the different areas. We also have a programme that deals with the People's Housing Process. That process entails promoting self-help participation in which many of our people are very eager to participate. Then, of course, we have the Finance-Linked Individual Subsidy Programme in the country.
With regard to the matter of the rectification programme that the hon member raises, we have had and continue to have the programme around the National Home Builders Registration Council, NHBRC. Since 2001, this council has made possible the issuing of the various housing warranties. To date, it is compulsory for all the houses and housing projects that we have to undergo a registration process. The National Home Builders Registration Council has a legal obligation in this country to take contractors - and, of course, their developers, if they want to - to court if there is any violation of any building standards. Among other things, they are also responsible for ensuring that there are inspections and enrolment of these houses, and that there is enforcement and compliance.
Furthermore, in the country, the rectification budget that we have set aside has been capped at 10% of the provincial budgets and this programme, we trust, can be discontinued in three years' time. Thank you, Deputy Speaker. [Applause.]
Thank you, hon Minister. Hon Sithole, is there a supplementary question? Hon Sithole?
Madam Deputy Speaker, I also have a surname starting with an S. The hon Sithole is not here, unfortunately, and he has asked me to ask a follow-up question on his behalf, if you would allow me. Thank you very much, Madam.
Thank you very much, hon Madam Minister, for the response to the question. The existence of fly-by-night contractors is a serious cause for concern, not only when they build houses, but also other infrastructure in our country. I wonder whether you are in a position at this moment in time, or later on, to furnish us with answers on whether you can quantify the losses that have been incurred by the state when they have had to rebuild houses that had been built before. How many such houses have been built? Can you give us the names of those contractors, because they may be serial offenders working in different provinces, trying to engage themselves in building work for the departments when they do bad work in one province?
The other thing he has asked me to find out is on the question of backlogs in the gap market, where people earning between R7 500 and R15 000 do not qualify for state-subsidised houses. What kind of progress is being made in that regard to assist those persons? Thank you.
Deputy Speaker, I think the member is correct. It would be best if he furnished that question to my office. I am not in a position to give him all those statistics here. However, I doubt very much whether it is as exorbitant as he is putting to the House. However, we are happy to get the information from you.
With regard to the backlogs in the gap market, we have made quite a bit of progress in this regard, of course. One of the difficulties that we do have is the uptake in the different provinces with regard to this aspect. However, we are happy that we will have a further engagement where people have difficulties with the banks. We are planning to have a meeting at that level so that we can address the hurdle that is in that aspect. What happens is that when one needs to make an application for that, in some instances, the banks say that one is not credit worthy. We think that that matter needs to be addressed with them. Thank you.
Hon members, the level of noise is too high. Please. It is high. I am not sure if you are bored already, or what. [Interjections.] Hon Steenhuisen.
Deputy Speaker, it is not the hon Steenhuisen, it is the hon Mokgalapa. I was next to the hon Steenhuisen. May I proceed?
You pressed there?
I pressed mine! [Laughter.] I pressed mine, hon Deputy Speaker. [Laughter.] [Interjections.]
Hon Minister, I am sure you are aware that low-cost housing has become a get rich quick scheme for fly-by-night contractors at the expense of the poor. The Public Protector has reported that almost 10% of her complaints, which amount to 2 887, are related to maladministration pertaining to the delivery of low-cost housing. That includes poor quality assurance, procurement irregularities, and poor vetting of service providers, leading to shoddy workmanship. Hence, it costs the state billions to rectify the houses, which, you have to agree with me, is fruitless and wasteful expenditure. My question is: What concrete steps has the Minister taken to guarantee that contractors and individuals who provide substandard low-cost housing through state contracts are never employed by the state again? Thank you very much.
I will take the hon Borman. Is there a supplementary question, hon Borman?
Yes, I am here, but I think the hon Minister was going to reply to a question.
Oh, she has not replied. [Laughter.] Hon Minister ...
Chairperson ...
... pardon me, because I can see it is also your maiden appearance as a Minister answering questions. You will pardon me, I know that. Hon Minister, continue.
Thank you very much, House Chair. I was waiting for the members to clap, as you said it was my maiden speech. May I pause? [Applause.] Thank you very much, House Chair.
There are two answers to the question that the member from the DA has put. Firstly, I think it is a well-known fact that the department has engaged the Special Investigating Unit, SIU, on the matter of any corruption in the department, and we will continue on that path. Secondly, I did answer earlier on what steps we have put together ourselves to deal with any problems that may exist with regard to any shoddy workmanship. Thank you.
Chairperson, Minister, we welcome you here this afternoon. May I just say that on the rectification programme, you have the support of the ANC and my question would be regarding that. We have two periods of time for rectification: the period before the NHBRC and after the NHBRC. May I ask you whether your department has done a proper audit of how many houses were in need of rectification prior to the NHBRC, which is 1994 to 2000, and after 2000 to date? I ask this question because you talk about the provinces' budget being capped at 10% in order to deal with the rectification, and that the programme will end in three years' time. I am asking whether the audit, then, has revealed the number requiring rectification and whether, in fact, the finances are going to be able to meet the budget. [Time expired.]
Chairperson, I would like to thank the hon member very much for her sentiments and also for what she has said about the rectification. Indeed, we have done this audit. We will be very happy to give the figures to you outside the House.
I want to stress that we are confident about the new programmes we have entered into. That is, we have a new model, different from the type of houses that we were accustomed to. A great deal of investment has gone into that. Therefore, we think we are focusing in the right direction. Even now, as we speak, instead of focusing on the past and continually looking into a rectification programme, we must make sure that the entity that is there spends sufficient time ensuring that we do not have these problems in future - hence the capping that we have given to the provinces. Thank you, House Chair.
House Chair, firstly, let me congratulate the Minister on her appointment.
The question I would like to raise is: Firstly, given the stated intention of government on the provision of low-cost housing to assist with the reduction of poverty and the improvement of wealth for the poor, does the Minister believe that, without transfer of the title deeds to those recipients of low-cost housing, wealth can be created for those poor people? After all, they cannot use that house as collateral without a title deed.
Secondly, what is the percentage of your departmental budget that is being spent on the rectification programme? Minister Tokyo Sexwale showed us last year, I think ... [Time expired.]
House Chair, certainly, the first question that the hon member asked is a new question, and I would be happy for him to send it to my office. Thank you.
Steps to deal with meat industry's mislabelling of meat products 241. Mr S Z Ntapane (UDM) asked the Minister of Health:
(1) How does his department intend to deal with the meat industry's mislabelling of meat products;
(2) whether any steps have been taken to ensure better (a) enforcement of and (b) compliance with labelling legislation?