Remarks by the Premier of the Northern Cape, Ms Sylvia Lucas on the occasion of the Lindelani Housing project house handover and Graduation ceremony Social Centre
13 November 2014

Programme Director
Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, Ms Zoe Kota-Fredericks
MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Mr. Alvin Botha
Executive Mayors and Councilors present
Chairperson of NYDA, Mr. Yershen Pillay
Officials from all spheres of Government
Ladies and Gentlemen
Members of the media

My excitement today is two-fold, firstly I am greatly pleased to form part of this historical and momentous occasion of the handing over of these houses and secondly it fills me with great pride to see these volunteers graduate today after having acquired valuable skills. Skills that they can use to improve their chances to access employment, to be active entrepreneurs and further their learning and in so doing make a contribution to society.

The 2014 Youth Build coincides with a significant period in the history of our country as South Africa celebrates the 20 years of Freedom since the first democratic election was held on April, 27 1994. If we look back twenty years ago we can agree that there has been a noticeable change in the provision of housing. Despite the fact that housing provision remains a challenge in South Africa, Government with its limited resources constantly finds innovative means to deliver quality houses with the available budget at hand.

Provincial Government is committed to the delivery of quality human settlements. We want to make sure that we utilise public resources in the best possible way to ensure that our people get the best service from Government. It is our conviction that we do not simply put a roof over your head but we ensure that we build houses with access to potable water, electricity, sanitation as well as other integrated developments such as recreational facilities. So strong is this conviction that the provision of housing forms part of one of the key priorities of this ANC-led Government.

To this end, the province has experienced improved levels of access to basic services. We are therefore pleased that more than 93, 6% households in the province have access to water inside their dwellings or in their yards, more than 79% of households have access to basic sanitation; 82% of households in the province have access to electricity and in excess of 63 000 houses have been built and more than 17 600 sites have been serviced.

The commencement of the construction of this housing project took centre stage during our national June 16 celebrations which was addressed by the Honourable Deputy President of South Africa, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, to honour the heroes who defined a new era in the history of the struggle; those young people who demonstrated to the apartheid government their complete rejection of racial segregation and inequality.

I view these 100 youth as our present day heroes who regardless of the number of challenges facing our youth which include unemployment, poverty, lack of skills, drug and substance abuse; chose to rise above that and give of themselves to improve the lives of others around them. I want to challenge other youth to follow in the footsteps of this group of young people and become active citizens through participating in programmes that require their energy to improve the lives of the communities they reside in and create strong, cohesive human settlements.

Let me pause by congratulating the new homeowners for joining this proud category of people and also remind them of the responsibility that they have as homeowners. Take good care of your new homes and contribute towards the building of safe, peaceful and thriving communities.

I also wish to congratulate the volunteers who are receiving their certificates today and I trust that you will use the new skills that you have acquired to assist us in building a strong economy and stable country. You also have the responsibility of providing strong leadership to your peers and encourage them to also join in programmes of this nature so that they too have a chance at a better life.

In conclusion, I want to thank all the stakeholders for the individual and valuable roles that they have played in ensuring that we make this project such a success story and demonstrating that together we can move South Africa forward.

I thank you.