Sisulu announces massive roll out of housing projects for military veterans

The Minister of Human Settlements‚ Lindiwe Sisulu‚ on Monday said all provinces would prioritise provision of houses for military veterans‚ and announced a massive roll out of housing projects to clear the military veterans’ housing backlog by April 2016.

She said the national Department of Human Settlements would report back in 14 days on how military veterans’ housing backlog would be eradicated by 2016 with military veterans participating actively in the building process.

“Some of you still have energy from the camps; we must convert that energy into construction skills for you to work with us in building your own houses.

“I want you to become construction developers of the future and get involved in all mega projects”‚ she said.

Sisulu was addressing a gathering of more than 200 military veterans from different formations‚ including Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans’ Association‚ in the City of Cape Town council chambers as part of her monthly stakeholder outreach programme.

The minister told delegates that housing delivery for military veterans was one of government’s key priorities.

She stressed that more than 5‚000 registered and verified military veterans in the Department of Military Veterans’ database “must have houses by end of this financial year‚ 2015/2016“.

“Military veterans played a central role in pushing the apartheid government to start negotiating with the African National Congress.

“We owe our freedom to you‚ it is my mission to ensure that in this financial year all military veterans have houses‚ decent houses fit for the sacrifices you have made for us as a nation“‚ said Sisulu.