Kuba hjälper Sydafrika bygga hus för de fattiga
12 november 2004
Kuba har undertecknat ett samarbetsavtal med Sydafrika när det gäller att bygga bostäder för fattiga sydafrikaner på landsbygden och i städernas slumområden. Det rapporterar BuaNews i Pretoria (se artikel nedan).
Enligt avtalet kommer Kuba att skicka specialister till de mest eftersatta områdena och där hjälpa befolkningen att själva bygga hus med hjälp av subventioner från de regionala regeringarna. Dessa har fria händer att själva teckna avtal med den kubanska regeringen.
"Vi vill nå ut till de fattigaste områdena och de eländiga skjulen och hjälpa till att förbättra människornas livskvalitet och levnadsvillkor," sa Kubas representant Rene Mesa, när avtalet skrevs på i Pretoria.
Redan i januari anländer de första 12 kubanska experterna till provinsen Western Cape der 320.000 personer saknar adekvata bostäder. I hela Sydafrika är det över 2.000.000 människor som saknar en ordentlig bostad.
BJÖRN BLOMBERG
Karen Pretorius
Cape Town
(BuaNews 10 november 2004, Pretoriea)
Government has signed a framework agreement with Cuba to help boost the country's plans of providing proper shelter for the poor.
Housing Minister Lindiwe Sisulu and Cuban Deputy Minister of Construction, Rene Mesa signed the agreement here today.
This paves the way for provinces to enter into specific agreements with Cuba to provide technical expertise according to their housing needs.
Speaking after the signing ceremony, Western Cape MEC for Housing and Local Government, Marius Fransman said the Cubans would be deployed to aid with the People's Housing Process (PHP).
"That agreement will talk to technical assistance to be rendered by Cuban architects and engineers to support the low cost housing process in South Africa,"
In terms of the PHP, poor South Africans will access government's subsidies and build their own house.
The Cuban experts are expected to help these communities who often lack the practical construction skills. They will be based within the communities they will be assisting to share with them knowledge and skills.
Mr Fransman said government's new Comprehensive Human Settlement Plan addressed issues of quality houses.
"This is an initiative to further strengthen that by putting in place specialist in the poorest of the poor communities," he explained.
In the Western Cape twelve Cuban professionals will arrive in January to work in areas such as Khayelitsha, and rural areas in the Boland, West Coast and Karoo.
The province has a housing backlog of 320 000 units, while there are 2.1 million people nationally without adequate shelter.
Local professionals have shied away from the People's Housing Process, thus creating a need to source skills from elsewhere.
The Cuban Deputy Minister of Construction, Rene Mesa said his country had a long history on housing delivery for poor communities.
He said they would provide professionals with experience in the construction of low cost but quality housing.
"We want to reach those regions and those shacks and improve the conditions and quality of life of those people," Mr Mesa said.
He also expressed his country's willingness to work with South Africa in other fields of development.
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