The South African Human Rights Commission provincial manager, Buang Jones, said the main aim of the indaba was to share strategies, proposals and solutions to the housing headache. Some of the organisations present were the African Diaspora Forum, Department of Human Settlements and Statistics South Africa.

They hope that having a multi-sectoral approach would accelerate the realisation of the right to adequate housing.

Jones also pointed out the fact that many people relocated from their home towns to pursue financial gain or a better life in the “City of Gold”.
He said some of the issues to be tackled were those of implementing fair housing policies, curbing corruption in the housing sector and adequate budget planning to better the lives of those in need.

“In most cases, the right to housing is limited by the availability of resources due to the prevailing economic meltdown in the country. The national housing code also clearly states that even foreign nationals have the right to citizenship and these are some of the prevalent matters to be discussed,” said Jones.

These were some of the key objectives of the provincial indaba:
To review the current policy and legislation pertaining to housing.
Allow for an assessment of socio-economic realities in order to understand constraints at municipal level.
To work towards the recognition of migrants, especially legal immigrants and refugees, as stakeholders in the inner city.
To work towards the inclusion of migrants in city regeneration schemes.
To begin the process to create sustainable communities and infrastructure that will actively include migrants.
To create a space where there is a dynamic interplay between public and private sectors for the realisation of rights.
Jones said the indaba held yesterday was only the beginning of an ongoing process, as there are many matters to unpack and unravel when it comes to the issue of housing.

Source: IOL