What the media says

The ANC's not afraid to debate and defend its policies

A number of media reports over the past two weeks have claimed that remarks made by ANC President Jacob Zuma at public engagements were inconsistent with ANC policy.

Earlier this week, President Zuma released a statement to clarify some of the points he had made, "as they have been grossly misrepresented by some sections of the media". We publish below extracts from the statement by the ANC President.

On the death penalty

"There is no ambiguity in the ANC's position on the death penalty, as I have consistently stated. The ANC is opposed to capital punishment, for cogent reasons.

"I have also made it clear that we are a democratic country and that it would be difficult for us as the ANC to tell people they cannot debate whether or not there should be a referendum on the matter.

"It would be a contradiction if we say we believe in democracy, but refuse to allow people space to tell us what they think. In the course of such a debate, some people may be persuaded to change their views.

"A debate would not change the fact that the ANC's policy and the country's Constitution remain very clear on the right to life of every South African citizen. We who believe in this view should be ready to defend it through engagement and persuasion, not through denying others a platform to state their views.

On affirmative action

"During an interaction with the union Solidarity, a white parent asked on behalf of his young son whether he would battle to find a job when he finished school due to our affirmative action policies.

"I indicated that I welcomed Solidarity's view on affirmative action, in which they stated clearly that they were not opposed to the policy, but wanted to engage us on how we can find a way to accommodate white South Africans especially with regard to scarce skills where no suitable black candidates were available.

"I said there should be dialogue on the matter. As the ANC, we welcome interaction between the different formations of organised labour in the country. We believe the sharing of views would enable us to deal with any perceptions that may exist within the white community on affirmative action.

On the labour market

"On the issue of labour market flexibility, the Polokwane conference resolved that the creation of decent work opportunities is the primary focus of ANC economic policy. At the same time, given the existence of two economies in the country, we need to continuously seek ways of improving the lot of people in the second economy. That is a reinforcement of our policy. Not a deviation.

"As the ANC, we will continue to guard and work to deepen the hard-won rights of workers.

"I chose to brief a meeting of the COSATU Central Executive Committee on this matter, as I felt I needed to explain to them what was fast being distorted by the media.

"I was not 'summoned' by COSATU as some sections of the media reported. We should not be afraid to listen to other views and to persuade each other of the correctness of our positions.

On the powers of the President of the Republic

"The media hype around an interview I had with the Financial Times, which reports that I said the President of the Republic no longer has any powers, is mischievous. It is a misrepresentation of what I said in the interview.

"We have stated repeatedly that the ANC government implements ANC policy. Therefore all ANC members in government, from a national to a local level, are accountable to the movement. This is nothing new. Nor should it change simply because different people occupy the positions of ANC President and President of the country.

"The powers, duties and responsibilities of the President of the Republic, which are prescribed by the South African Constitution, have not been changed or diminished.

On ANC policy

"The ANC is a dynamic movement that has policies that are tried and tested and well-known. We continuously monitor and evaluate the implementation of our policies, in annual Makgotla, in National General Council (NGCs), in Policy Conferences and the five-yearly National Conferences.

"The ANC has a responsibility to engage in these processes to ensure that its policies are indeed advancing the objective of a better life for all South Africans.

"That is why I said that policies should not be seen as equivalent to the 'Ten Commandments'. Instead, they should be open to review and ongoing interrogation.

"Our democracy enshrines the principle of freedom of expression. It is therefore, in my view, correct to allow South Africans the space to make their views on our policies known. This enables us to explain our positions, and to benefit from the views expressed. The ANC is clear on its policies. But we are not afraid of debate."

Housing

Forward to decent shelter for all

A ruling by the Cape High Court this week on the relocation of the remaining residents of Joe Slovo informal settlement in Cape Town to temporary houses in Delft should open the way for the completion of the N2 Gateway Housing Project, and highlights the need to advance as quickly as possible with government's programme to provide decent shelter for all.

The court was called upon to rule on a situation that affects new housing development programmes across the country as government works to replace informal settlements with permanent housing. In many instances, this requires the relocation of people living in informal settlements so that the area can be developed and new houses built.

In some instances, these informal settlements are located closer to urban centres and economic opportunities than the areas where temporary housing is available. It is understandable that some residents would therefore not want to move to the temporary housing, concerned among other things about additional transport costs.

However, as the Cape High Court judgement finds, this is a necessary step in the process of building decent permanent accommodation. Relocation must therefore be undertaken through extensive consultation and with sensitivity.

It means also that the building process should be completed without delay to minimise whatever inconvenience may be experienced by those relocated to temporary accommodation. 'Temporary' housing should not be allowed to become semi-permanent because of delays in the building process.

Government has shown it is sensitive to these issues. In his ruling, Cape Judge President John Hlophe said more than adequate temporary accommodation was being provided for Joe Slovo residents at the state's expense.

"Transport, safety, educational, health and even pension needs have been catered for at the state's expense in order to help in alleviating difficulties that are inevitable in the circumstances of the Respondents [the remaining Joe Slovo residents]," the judge said.

"The occupants of Joe Slovo informal settlement have an opportunity to live in better accommodation than they reside in presently. This accommodation is merely temporary, until such time as the restructuring, soil treatment, and building of permanent housing in Phase 2 and Phase 3 of Joe Slovo have been completed in terms of the government's housing policy, the N2 Gateway Housing Project and in line with the state's obligation to provide housing within its available resources."

Judge Hlophe found that the state's housing policy was "in no way attempting to re-enact the apartheid ghost of forced removals".

"This is not a mass eviction, but a strategic relocation," he said. The relocation would work in phases according to the availability of temporary accommodation, with the first group of residents ordered to vacate their shacks by 17 March 2008.

In a statement, Director-General of Housing Itumeleng Kotsoane said many residents of Joe Slovo informal settlement would return to free houses in an integrated human settlement, where they would live alongside people of different means and backgrounds.

"We have national and international imperatives to deal with informal settlements and contribute to the integration of our people. It is critical for us to firmly establish the principle that we cannot allow the relatively narrow interests of some individuals to block greater societal progress," said Kotsoane.

"A thorough consultative process took place in Joe Slovo and half the community relocated voluntarily to Delft. Now, notwithstanding prior commitments to the contrary, the other half wants to stipulate what kind of houses they should be given and where they should be located. This is not sustainable. If we allow one community to dictate terms we must allow all communities the privilege. And attitudes of this kind will radically decelerate and render unaffordable efforts to deal with slums."

The sooner residents of Joe Slovo relocated to Delft the sooner they would benefit from permanent new homes, he said. Some would return to Joe Slovo and others would be offered accommodation on other N2 Gateway building sites.

The Department of Housing said more than 2,000 Breaking New Ground (BNG) homes are on the agenda for the third phase of the N2 Gateway Pilot Project development at Joe Slovo. These are 40 square metre homes, with two bedrooms, a bathroom and an open plan living area, that are given away free to South Africans qualifying for the full housing subsidy.

The N2 Gateway is a pioneering national initiative located in Cape Town to learn the practical steps, standards and measures required to translate the country's new housing policy into bricks and mortar on the ground. BNG homes replace the old RDP standard.

At Joe Slovo, BNG homes will be erected adjacent to the 705 rental apartments (already occupied) and a show village of 35 affordable bonded units being developed in partnership with First National Bank.

BNG homes are given completely free to families with an income of less than R1,500 a month, provided they have not previously received a government housing subsidy. Families with incomes of between R1,500 and R3,500 must "buy" their homes for a once-off fee of approximately R2,500.

Families with a monthly income of up to R5,000 may rent an apartment for between R500 and R1,050. Families earning up to R7,500 qualify for affordable bonded homes, available at prices of between R180,000 and R450,000.

Residents of Joe Slovo informal settlement will move to accommodation in a temporary relocation area in Delft, where they will stay until permanent homes are ready for occupation. The relocation was ordered to take place in stages, approximately 100 families a week.

"To mitigate the inconvenience of relocating temporarily, residents are provided with transport to schools and work in the vicinity of Joe Slovo. And arrangements are put in place for the transferral of medical and pension records from Joe Slovo to Delft," the department said.

Prince Xhanti Sigcawu, general manager of the N2 Gateway development company, Thubelisha Homes, said homes in Delft Symphony were presently being allocated as they became available. These are the homes that were invaded in December and extensively damaged. Prince Sigcawu said they would be allocated at a rate of more than 100 a week until all the 1,600 homes that were invaded were legally occupied.

As in Delft Symphony, Joe Slovo homes would be allocated on the basis of the 70:30 formula agreed by the three spheres of government and community stakeholders. This agreement requires that 70% of new homes be allocated to residents of informal settlements, and 30% to residents of backyard dwellings in the vicinity of the development. Qualifying N2 Gateway beneficiaries are identified by an allocations committee headed by the City of Cape Town.

Sigcawu said it was unrealistic for a number of reasons to cater for all Joe Slovo informal settlement residents in the redeveloped Joe Slovo area. This was because informal settlements have a higher build density than formal developments; 30% of homes in Joe Slovo are offered to backyard dwellers from Langa and Bokmakierie, over the highway; and Joe Slovo is an integrated development. The days of building rows and rows of identical houses without access to amenities, of creating poor-only communities, have passed.

Since the advent of democracy, the ANC-led government has provided 2.4 million houses to poor people. The court's ruling will help ensure that it is able to increase the number of houses it provides and to significantly improve the quality both of the houses and the settlements in which they are located.

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