Comments on: Housing: Are good ideas wilfully ignored?

By: Lizanne Barnett

Lizanne Barnett — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:55:12 +0000

@Peter
Your example of Genadendal serves to make another point: the historic buildings there were built by ordinary people from the mid 17th to 18th and are still standing and kept in mint condition because of a sense of proprietorship! The whole RDP idea is travesty of common sense! Give people serviced sites, let the law do its work about basic regulations, give every previously disadvantaged person a one-off ‘allowance’ and let them get on with it! (Where historic spaces exist make sure there are tough laws to prevent this kind of desecration.)

By: Peter

Peter — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:09:44 +0000

I hear what you are saying and it needs to be taken up by the opposition in parliament.

My caution: as an architect, the quality of the design and construction have to comply with set standards. But beyond that, and equally important are the quality of the spaces these massive ‘new towns’ will create.

Using Genadendal in the Overberg as an example, which is being played out in just about every town or city in SA, this historic mission village has been ruined for ever, by dumping RDP houses on the veld outside the village.
Not only is the whole regional ‘spatial structure’ ruined, but by dumping people 2 km form a viable working community, creates insiders and outsiders and perpetuates poverty, racial division and restricts access to viable economic sustainability.

Factory houses might answer part of the problem, but replacing the usual RDP houses with these and still following the old ‘engineered’ layout and mindset will not create a sustainable living environment.

By: sid

sid — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:31:48 +0000

I’m with “I’ll stay anonymous..” on this one. The housing problems have everything to do with cronyism, corruption and incompetence and very little to do with systems, design and construction. I have also dabbled in the low cost housing sector (for free) and come away totally and absolutely disillusioned.

By: Antonio Tonin

Antonio Tonin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:33:45 +0000

Probably the most incredibly simple and innovative job creating project ever put forward in South Africa. The number of jobs is enormous, and best of all the increase in the quality of life, self respect and dignity of our less fortunate neighbours will make the rest of the world wake up once more in admiration at what this magnificent country can achieve. And it will be achieved mainly through the efforts of the workers with not too much input from Government

By: MLH

MLH — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:08:33 +0000

You know far more about this than I, who plead woeful ignorance, but it does seem that anyone with a voice already has a house and therefore can’t be much bothered to follow up on behalf of those with no voices. Thanks for making the point. The shocking news we hear from time to time of badly-managed lists, etc. always makes me wonder where this will all end. Half the people who still want houses look too young to have been alive in 1994. I wonder just how much money has filtered down the drain over the years on just this particular promise to the people. And the other promises…

By: Anthony

Anthony — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:21:26 +0000

It’s a sad day when great ideas are ignored, and made more so when those great ideas would help those in the most dire consequences…

By: Fahk Moloch

Fahk Moloch — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:50:22 +0000

The politics of poverty dictates that problem hyping is first and foremost. How can the most brilliant minds continually miss the most viable and sustainable sollutions to our complex socio-economic challenges? The ministry of planning is oxymoronic in that the plans hatced are favouring the corporate elite. Starting fires to sell extinguishers.
Why not implement proactive and beneficial economic policies to grant the country financial prosperity and freedom from bondage to the World bank/IMF economic hitmen. Perhaps when the honourable ministers start writing their own speeches and hatching their own plans, we might reap some real rewards. Stop working towards a national trade deficit and start liberating us from foreign indebtedness.
We are a country of leaders, not followers.History will not be kind to saboteurs of any kind.
If they have nothing to hide then start a public debate leading to a referendum. Unmask the charlatans. Revolution now!
Amandla Awethu. Aluta Continua!!!

By: I'll stay anonymous for this one

I'll stay anonymous for this one — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:48:43 +0000

I work closely with a low cost housing company and unfortunately there is a great deal of corruption that is halting progress at tender stage and beyond. If bribes to the tune of R2 million aren’t paid to the government officials in the area and the chiefs of the informal settlement the tender is not awarded. Simple, you may have completed numerous housing projects and your tender may be the lowest but that all counts for nought. Tenders are often awarded to large firms, not based in the area with little experience in the low cost housing sector who will charge the government the highest price per house of all the bidders.

Often what will happen then is the work will be subcontracted out to much cheaper consortiums who build substandard houses and often walk off site before the contract is complete, this causes delays and red tape.

By: Cliff Smith

Cliff Smith — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:35:52 +0000

This company should build a prototype, demo it at design fairs and the Rand Show then list on the JSE and sell shares at low unit prices so SA’s low income earners can buy in from the beginning and be empowered that way. Once they have raised enough money to buy land and start construction they just go for it. Screw the government, they are only interested in their own (ANC inner circle) self preservation anyway, why do we still expect anything else from them.

By: brigs

brigs — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:29:38 +0000

Sadly. you are right, hundred of the brightest mineds have been quietly at work on this issue. Finding often creative, insightfull solutions. To NO avail. Govenment simply is self seeking and anything which will not make them look good gets the chop. They basicly dont give a danm about the homless millions, only about themselves, their back pockets and their image. If your not rich, your not powerfull to them you are like the dog poo they seteped on at the park.