Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has announced government’s plans to review the Housing Subsidy System (HSS) to improve data integrity and ensure that there is a common understanding on the housing needs in the country.

Kubayi said it is highly regrettable that there are people who have been waiting for their houses for over 10 years, while others who applied after them have since benefitted.

The Minister said this while addressing the Phakgameng community at Modimolle-Mookgophong in Limpopo.

“This creates distrust between government and the people we are meant to serve. The system has to be flexible and secure enough to allow people to update their status, including changes to areas where they live,” Kubayi said.

The Minister who had been a two-day provincial visit, which concluded on Friday, also emphasised the need to accelerate housing delivery across the country, in order to restore the dignity of people.

She further appealed to people that have received houses and title deeds to value what has been given to them.

As part of the provincial visit, Kubayi, together with Deputy Minister of Human Settlements Pam Tshwete and Limpopo Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA) MEC Basikopo Makamu, handed over 201 title deeds to beneficiaries of fully subsidised government houses.

She also visited a number of housing projects in and around Polokwane.

Makamu welcomed the Minister’s visit, noting that her intervention in the provincial department’s housing challenges would go a long way in reducing people’s frustrations.

He said the province had made some headway in bolstering capacity for project management, whose lack had a visible effect in meeting housing delivery targets.

Kubayi is currently criss-crossing the country to assess progress on the delivery of human settlements. The provinces of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal are next on the Minister’s list.

Source: South African Government News Agency