Hon Chair, hon members, the challenges that are faced by the residents of Alexandra are substantial. The people of Alexandra deserve answers to what happened to the R1,4 billion of tax payer's money that was allocated for the Alexandra Renewal Project, ARP, this money was supposed to be used to develop the township and build houses for residents who are living in very unhygienic conditions. There have been allegations for a number of years that most of the R1,4 billion that has gone missing has little or nothing to show for it and nothing being done of it. Most people who know about this ARP
project are very disappointed that Treasury has not demanded full accountability for the missing funds.
The vision of the Medium-Term Strategic Framework is to realise sustainable human settlements and improved quality of household life. Priorities include the delivery of 110 000 new housing units by the end of this year. Hon Chair, unless corruption is rooted out, and accountability the mandate, this vision cannot be realised. Millions of our people are still living in squalid conditions in informal settlements where there are no basic services such as water and sanitation.
On the 31 May, we were shocked to see the demolition of about 80 houses in Stjwetla Informal Settlement in Alexandra. Protestors reacted by throwing stones, sadly two bonded houses were torched in the process. The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department, JMPD, spokesperson Wayne Minnaar later said that the demolished housed were illegally built and too close to the river. The ACDP believes that it is cruel to allow people to build houses illegally and then send the Red Ants later to demolish those houses. People must be stopped from invading illegal land in the
first place because if they do not do that, people will go in there and their houses will be demolished again.
Government should subsidise and encourage self help schemes throughout the country so that many of our people can start building their own houses. If this is not done, then informal settlements will forever be with us. The ACDP is not going to support this budget and subsequent budgets, until a criminal investigation into the unaccounted for R1,4 billion has been concluded and steps against the thieves and all those who benefited from corruption at the expense of the needy people of Alexandra, have been taken. Unless it is done, the ACDP is not going support the subsequent budgets. Thank you.