THE Minister of Human Settlements, Mmamoloko Kubayi, has announced that a total budget of R220 million has been allocated to the provincial Human Settlements Development Grant (HSDG) business plans in the Eastern Cape, Free State, and KwaZulu-Natal for the current financial year.
This funding will be used to implement 27 projects across these provinces to remove asbestos roofs.
Kubayi was tabling the department’s R35 billion budget vote for the financial year 2023/24 in parliament on Wednesday.
A total of R19,2 billion will be allocated to provincial grants, R12.5 billion for municipal grants, R520 million for emergency housing response and R1.7 billion will be transferred to Human Settlements entities.
She said asbestos is a hazardous material that poses a significant health risk to people, and it is a legacy of the apartheid era that still affects poor households.
Kubayi said that the eradication of asbestos should be a priority. In the past financial year, 1500 asbestos roofs were removed in Seshego and 2100 roofs in KaNyamazane.
The Department is committed to removing and disposing of asbestos roofs and walls correctly in old township properties across all nine provinces in South Africa.
“The department is committed to the eradication and correct disposal of asbestos roofs
and walls in old township properties across all nine provinces,” said Kubayi.
“A total budget of R220 million has been allocated to the provincial Human Settlements Development Grant business plans in the Eastern Cape, Free State and Kwa Zulu Natal to implement 27 projects across the provinces to remove asbestos roofs.”
Kubayi told MPs that another priority for the department is eradicating mud houses, which has been allocated a budget of R1.7 billion in this financial year.
“We will introduce the use of remote sensing through satellite technology and other modern technology applications to help us locate and get a total count of all mud houses across the country.
“This means we will have to acquire the skills to capacitate our department to be able to utilise these technologies.”
“Since last year’s pronouncement on the prioritisation of the eradication of mud houses, five provinces have implemented the programme to eradication mud houses. In the past financial year, a total of 8 262 mud houses were eradicated. Seven (7) Provinces have planned to eradicate 11 791 mud houses with a budget of R1.7 billion in this financial year.”
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