Associations representing the main materials used in the construction of houses have thrown their weight behind Minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s call for cooperation within the construction sector by signing a number of pledges on behalf of members.
The Minister of Human Settlements called on all to work together to build 1.5 million houses within the next 5 years. To do this the Department undertook to address key issues standing in the way of closer cooperation and has taken various steps to unite the industry.
These included working with financial institutions to obtain loans for home owners to procure land; establish a dedicated unit to ensure payments are made timeously; establish an Ombudsman to deal with disputes; create forums to deal with bottlenecks; to use the Cuban model of youth brigades to train young people to build houses and enter the economy, as well as hastening the granting of title deeds.
In response, the Aggregate and Sand Producers Association of Southern Africa (ASPASA) and the Southern Africa Readymix Association (SARMA), representing companies that supply sand, stone and readymixed concrete, produced a combined list of pledges on behalf of members.
These wide-ranging pledges include a commitment to help eradicate the scourge of corruption at all levels within the quarrying and construction industries.
“Whether corruption is experienced at the point of mining minerals, or to procure business for the building of infrastructure or other large-scale projects, these dishonest business dealings put a strain on the country’s economy. Corruption also has the potential to derail meaningful efforts to build sustainable and competitive industries in future,” said Nico Pienaar, a director on the boards of both associations.
“We are committed to ending corruption affecting our industry and appeal to any of our members who suspect dishonest dealings to take decisive action.
We also support, most strongly, the initiative of the Minister of Human Settlements to enable all South Africans to have a home of their own and uplift the dignity of the entire population,” he concluded.
More information from Nico Pienaar, Tel:+27 (0)11 791 3327 / www.aspasa.co.za
