September 2010

Johannesburg - The Department of Human Settlements is on a quest to find new technology that is both cost effective and quality orientated to provide better housing for South Africans.

This technology needed to be environmentally friendly, sustainable and address other challenges facing housing in the country, Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale said on Wednesday during the department's Alternative Building Technologies Indaba in Sandton.

The two-day indaba brings together officials from all spheres of government, the private sector, regulatory authorities, scientific, research and tertiary institutions.

Sexwale called on delegates to ensure that the indaba was more than just a "talk shop", urging them to make it a productive working session that would give rise to ideas that could be implemented.

He said his department was looking for new ways of building better homes, which included new green solutions and mechanisms for responding to climate change.

Pretoria - The European Union (EU) has pledged $165 million to improve primary education in South Africa.

The pledge was made during President Jacob Zuma's visit to Belgium - a country that will be working more closely with South Africa.

Zuma said on Tuesday he was pleased to see agreements being signed in various sectors, including education, saying the implementation of these would be for the mutual benefit of both countries.

"South Africa is committed to work closely with Belgium in the identification and implementation of various projects, which have the potential to assist SA in achieving its development objectives in a win-win situation with all stakeholders concerned," said Zuma.

The President said they planned to conclude a wide-ranging economic partnership agreement between the southern African regional economic body and the EU.

Zuma said the outcome of these discussions was a clear demonstration of the progress the two countries had made.

"We ... can continue to build on our excellent bilateral relations, which is indicative of the friendship that exists between our peoples," said Zuma.

Pretoria - Cash strapped families in the Eastern Cape are expected to benefit from a partnership between government and the private sector that aims to provide affordable housing units.

On Monday, Human Settlements MEC Nombulelo Mabandla signed a partnership agreement with Absa Development Company (DevCo) to facilitate cooperation between her department and Absa in developing housing units.

These units, which can either be leased or bought, are aimed at families in the Eastern Cape who have a combined monthly income of not more than R15 498 as well as those who have no income.

As part of the agreement, Absa will identify projects and develop proposals for the department's approval.

The projects would be built throughout the province, particularly in rural areas, in a mixed mode of rental and home ownership with the aim of integrating communities into one sustainable human settlement, the department said.

The agreement is expected to be of particular benefit to middle income earners who did not qualify for low cost housing but could not afford expensive bonds either.

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