04 Oct 2016

 

Government programmes and local authorities should prioritise housing as top of agenda, Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Mr Prince Maele has said. 

Mr Maele pointed out that accommodation gave individuals dignity and safe harbor from harsh conditions as sunny and cold weather while lack of shelter deprived one of dignity.

Minister Maele was speaking at the National Habitat Day commemorations in Gumare on October 3.

The United Nations newly introduced 20 years programme which incepts in 2016 termed New Urban Agenda, he said implored governments and other stakeholders to prioritise accommodation.

“UN-Habitat will be convening the third summit on Housing and Sustainable Development (Habitat III) in Quito, Ecuador in October 2016 to secure a renewed commitment for sustainable urban development, assessing accomplishments in terms of housing to date, and to formulate a New Urban Agenda. 

This agenda seeks to reposition housing as a global priority.”

Accommodation, he said should be a right to all individuals therefore underscored the necessity for central and local authorities to ensure that all individuals have proper accommodation which involves access to school, health facilities, accessible by people with disability and availability of water and sanitation.

Minister Maele therefore highlighted the need for involvement of other stakeholders as the private sector to assist in housing investment.

He said the affected members of the community as those living with diability, underprivileged, and widowed and elders should not be left out but assisted by capable members of the society to attain proper accommodation.

Mr Maele noted that the President of Botswana through the Presidential Housing Appeal initiative has managed to assist about 650 under privileged Batswana so far since its inception.

He said about 880 million people lived in shantytowns worldwide while locally about 25 per cent of Batswana live in poor conditions which translates to one out of four people.

Mr Maele therefore said the challenge of people living in slums should be addressed by all not the government only.

He noted that rural-urban migration was one of the factors that exacerbated slums since some of the people who could not afford proper accommodation in towns resorted to shantytowns.

However, the minister encouraged Batswana to take advantage of government schemes such as Self Help House Agency (SHHA) to develop accommodation.

In his welcome remarks, Gumare representative Kgosi Moitshepi said Gumare was faced with a dire situation of water and poor drainage which resulted in death of livestock in some instances.

He requested minister Maele to visit the village in future to appreciate their challenges. ENDS