Statement on housing provision in Flagstaff, Eastern Cape
6 November 2007
The African National Congress commends the ANC led government on its diligent and unstinting efforts in providing shelter to our people, particularly on the initiative and drive to improve the lives of rural communities through remedial work to houses in Flagstaff in the Eastern Cape which as I speak is underway.
The Portfolio Committee on Housing in terms of its mandate became part of this initiative and joined the building of houses in Flagstaff at Thabo Mbeki Village. This remedial work is the culmination of concerns raised by the beneficiaries during the People's Parliament in September 2007. These are houses whose roofs were blown away during a flood disaster as a result of shoddy work of a building contractor.
We thank the Minister of Housing for this speedy response as a result of her energetic and caring participation in this initiative. She has even given an undertaking to the affected community that despite time and material constraints, the houses must be finished by December ideally before Christmas. This is the spirit Speaker through which our African National Congress-led government gives concrete meaning to the reconstruction and development. Moreover, it demonstrates commitment to the principles of people-centred development as articulated in our January 8th statement 2007.
These efforts demonstrate that as the ANC we are determined to give our people their dignity back through concerted action. Our involvement as public representatives further demonstrates that we have to become active combatants if we want to advance the values as espoused in the "Contract with the People".
Ms Zou Kota-Fredericks (MP)
Chairperson: Housing Portfolio Committee
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