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UN Director: Declarations and resolutions should be implemented now to eradicate slums

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The Executive Director of United Nations (UN) Habitat Maimunah Mohd Sharif says more than 1 billion people globally live in slums.

She says the transformation of informal settlements should be accelerated.

While speaking at the launch of a campaign aimed addressing housing challenges around the world in Pretoria, Sharif said there were enough declarations and resolutions to eradicate slums.

Sharif adds that what is needed now is to implement them to facilitate the development of informal settlements.

Despite the best effort to achieve zero slums by member states there are more than one billion people living in slums and informal settlements today.

This means that 1 out of every 4 people are living in urban areas in slum like conditions.

People lack access to water, sanitation, decent housing and are sharing a room with three or more people.

There are more than 2400 informal settlements South Africa.

Sharif and the Minister of Human Settlements, Mmamoloko Nkhensani Kubayi together with MMC for City of Johannesburg’s Department of Housing, Councillor Anthea Natasha Leitch visited the Rugby Club Informal Settlements, the Fleurhof Integrated Development and Thokoza park to introduce the Global Action Plan which is aimed at creating sustainable human settlements.

While speaking in Pretoria at the launch of a campaign aimed at addressing the problem of slums globally, Mamoloko Kubayi, says the prevalent illegal occupation of land in South Africa is posing a huge challenge for her department to provide housing for those who need it most.

Kubayi called on local government not to allow lawlessness. She says land grab disrupts planning and puts strain on the budget.

Illegal land occupation is lawless

“We are saying to cities when people illegally occupy evict immediately so that we don’t have a problem because it creates a problem and many of South Africans are saying to us you are incentivise illegal actions. Those of us who are disciplined you either stay at the backyard. Don’t illegally occupy.” she adds.

Kubayi has acknowledged that government is battling to keep up with the pace of rapid rising of informal settlements and slums in the country.

She elaborates, “We still have a long way to go because they continue to grow each time and put a burden on the planning and also disrupt our processes of proper budgeting. We acknowledge however that with the rapid rising of urbanisation our government is still battling to keep pace with the demand and we are over more aware that we need to create more partnership to respond to the needs of the nearly 1.4 million households living in informal settlements across South Africa.”

Kubayi will on Monday continue discussions with her UN counterpart, Maimunah Mohd Sharif.

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