The Portfolio Committee on Housing Annual Report from January – December 2005, reports as follows:

1. Name of the Committee: Portfolio Committee on Housing

Chairperson: Ms ZA Kota-Fredericks

Committee Secretary: Ms NM Ntuli

2. Chairperson’s Overview:

This has been a watershed year for the Portfolio Committee on Housing. Two most important events took place, first; the conference on "Challenges of Fire and Floods in Human Settlements" in which all the relevant stakeholders came together. Secondly, the overseas study visit by the committee to Norway and the Netherlands to learn more about social housing. The committee also had public hearings with eight housing institutions as well as the National Department of Housing.

3. Mandate of the Committee:

The mission of the committee is to ensure that Parliament gets value for money spent for the purpose of building houses. The committee will continue to encourage visible housing delivery and adherence to better quality of housing units.

The vision of the committee is to work with all relevant stakeholders willing to participate in the building of houses and assist the department in its constitutional imperative and mandate of providing everyone with an access to adequate housing.

4. List of Public Entities Over Which the Committee Exercises Oversight

1. National Home Builders’ Registration Council (NHBRC)
2. National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC)
3. National Urban Construction and Housing Agency (NURCHA)
4. People’s Housing Partnership Trust (PHPT)
5. Rural Housing Loan Fund (RHLF)
6. Servcon Housing Solutions (SERVCON)
7. Social Housing Foundation (SHF)
8. Thubelisha Homes

1. Number of Meetings Held and those Cancelled

1. Committee meeting was held on 19 January, 2005
2. Committee meeting was held on 9 February, 2005
3. Committee meeting was held on 16 February 2005
4. Committee meeting was held on 1 March 2005
5. Committee meeting which was scheduled for 4 March 2005, was cancelled
6. Committee meeting was held on 9 March 2005
7. Committee meeting was held on 18 May 2005
8. Committee meeting was held on 25 May 2005
9. Committee meeting was held on 27 May 2005
10. Committee meeting was held on 1 June 2005
11. Committee meeting which was scheduled for 22 June 2005, was cancelled
12. Committee meeting was held on 2 August 2005
13. Committee meeting was held on 10 August 2005
14. Committee meeting was held on 16 August 2005
15. Committee meeting was held on 24 August 2005
16. Committee meeting was held on 31 August 2005
17. Committee meeting was held on 14 September 2005
18. Committee meeting was held on 11 October 2005
19. Committee meeting was held on 26 October 2005
20. Committee meeting was held on 9 November 2005
21. Committee meeting was held on 16 November 2005

1. Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land (PIE) Amendment Bill (B 11-2005) was referred to the committee for consideration and was published in ATC: 7 March 2005. A briefing by the National Department of Housing on the Bill was held on 25 May 2005. Amendments to the Bill were made (please see page 2, point 5, of the Minutes dated: 25 May 2005). An interim report of the Portfolio Committee on the Bill, was published in ATC: 2 November 2005.

1. Papers (International Agreements, Protocols, Reports etc.) Referred to the Committee:

1. The Portfolio Committee undertook an oversight visit to the Western Cape province. The main objectives of the visit was to assess the relief needs in the areas that were affected by the fire disaster and also to give support to the victims of the fire disaster.
2. The oversight visit was undertaken on 25-26 January 2005.
3. The delegation was comprised of the following:

• Ms ZA Kota ANC (Chairperson)
• Mr RJ Tau ANC (Chairperson of the Select Committee on Public

Services)

• Ms BN Dambuza ANC
• Mr DC Mabena ANC
• Mr GD Schneemann ANC
• Ms NJ Ngele ANC
• Ms MM Ramakaba-Lesiea ANC
• Mr AC Steyn DA
• Ms M Ntuli Committee Secretary
• Mr S Makeleni Committee Assistant

1. The Committee visited the Joe Slovo area in KwaLanga and Khayamnandi in Stellenbosch.
2. The report was adopted by the committee on 16 August 2005.
3. The report was published in the ATC: 14 November 2005

1. International Visits:

1. The Portfolio Committee undertook a study tour to Norway and the Netherlands. The main objectives of the study tour were as follows:

• To gain insight into the policy basis for the social and co-operative housing approach in Norway and the Netherlands
• To gain insight into the results achieved through the social housing and co-operative housing approach.
• To learn how the international and social co-operative housing approaches relate to and compare with the South African context and policy development approach as well as the roles, functions and responsibilities of the different spheres of government, these, national, provincial and local.
• To strengthen parliamentary relations and share experiences on the aspects of social and co-operative housing.

1. The study tour was undertaken from 4-18 June 2005.
2. The delegation was comprised of the following persons:

• Ms ZA Kota ANC (Chairperson)
• Ms BN Dambuza ANC
• Ms MM Ramakaba-Lesia ANC
• Mr GD Schneemann ANC
• Mr TS Dodovu ANC
• Mr AC Steyn DA
• Ms S Sigcau UDM
• Ms NM Ntuli Committee Secretary
• Mr Brian Moholo Managing Director: Social Housing Foundation
• Mr Marlon Abrahams Social Housing Foundation
• Ms Odette Crawfton Social Housing Foundation
• Mr William Jiyana National Department of Housing
• Mr Thloriso Thelejane National Housing Finance Corporation
• Ms Mandu Mamatela National Housing Finance Corporation

1. The committee visited Oslo in Norway and the Hague in the Netherlands.
2. The report was adopted by the committee on 16 August, 2005.
3. The report was published in the ATC: 14 November 2005

1. Budget Vote

• The Memorandum on Vote No. 28 "Housing" Main Estimates, 2005-2006 was referred to parliament on 2 March, 2005.
• The committee had a briefing on the Budget by the National Department of Housing on 9 March, 2005.
• Public hearings on the Budget Vote were held on12-13 April 2005.
• The Report on the Public Hearings was adopted by the committee on 16 August, 2005 and is ready to be published in the ATC.

1. Annual Report of the Executive

• The Annual Report 2004/05 of the National Department of Housing was referred to parliament on 30 September 2005.
• The National Department of Housing briefed the committee on its Annual Report 2004/05 on 26 October 2005.
• The minutes on the briefing were adopted by the committee on 9 November 2005. The National Department of Housing will come back before the Portfolio Committee for another presentation on the Annual Report next year (2006), after which a report will be compiled.
• There were no public hearings held on the Annual Report 2004/05.

1. Other Committee Activities (Briefings, Workshops, Conferences)

12.1 The Committee attended the African Ministers’ on Housing and Urban Development (AMCHUD) conference in Durban, on 3-4 February 2005.

12.2 The Committee had a briefing by the Minister of Housing on the N2 Gateway Project on 1 March, 2005.

12.3 The Committee organised a conference on "Challenges of Fire and Floods in Human Settlements" on 19-20 April, 2005 in parliament.

12.4 The Committee attended the North West Provincial and Local Government Housing Summit on 6-8 June in Mafikeng, North West.

12.5 The Committee had a briefing by the Institute for Housing of South Africa (IHSA) on its activities on 2 August, 2005.

12.6 The Committee had a debriefing by Social Housing Foundation (SHF) on 16 August 2005,on the study tour which was undertaken by the Portfolio Committee on 4-18 June 2005 to Norway and the Netherlands.

12.7 The Committee had a briefing by the Banking Association on the Banks’ Proposal on the Low-Income Housing Finance on 24 August 2005.

12.8 The Committee attended a Housing Indaba conference at the ICC in Cape Town, which was hosted by the National Department of Housing, on 22-23 September 2005.

9. The Committee attended an International Housing Conference which was hosted by the Institute for Housing of South Africa (IHSA) at the ICC in Durban, on 16-19 October 2005.
10. The Committee attended an Awards Ceremony which was hosted by the National Home Builders’ Registration Council (NHBRC) in Gauteng on 26 October, 2005.
11. The Committee attended a housing handover ceremony by the Habitat for Humanity of South Africa and African Bank, in Protea South, Gauteng on 28 October 2005.
12. The Committee attended the" Fifth Global Parliamentarians on Habitat Forum" held in Rabat, Morocco, on 10-12 November 2005.

13. Budget of the Committee

• Expenditure:

Catering: R37 341.30

Provincial Visits: R37 039.20

Overseas Trips R479 188.00

Conferences, Seminars, Workshops 0

Public Hearings 0

_____________

14. Outstanding Matters

1. Briefing on the Annual Report of 2005/06 by the National Department of Housing
2. Deliberations on the PIE Amendment Bill (B 11-2005)
3. Provincial Visits to the Northern Cape and North West
4. Appearance before the committee of the Housing MECs from the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal on their housing budget.

15. Support Staff:

Committee Secretary: Ms Mkoti NM Ntuli

Control Committee Secretary: Ms N Nonkelela

Committee Assistant: Ms K Pasiya

Secretary to Chairperson: Ms E Scholtz

Researcher: Mr W Manona

16. Formal Adoption of the Report by the Committee