Too often land for the poor is demarcated far from employment opportunities in apartheid fashion, President Thabo Mbeki told the South African Local Government Association (Salga) conference in Midrand on Monday.
”Except for a few cases there is still a settlement pattern for poor black people to be on the outskirts of town, far from employment,” he said.
”It is unacceptable for the allocation of land close to employment centres to be solely for the upper end of the income market.”
This was a failure to use housing as a catalyst to integrate communities separated by apartheid, Mbeki said.
He further criticised the lack of sufficient sports grounds and parks being built in housing development.
”Many children grow up with no place to play.”
Though Mbeki received a warm welcome from the 1 500 or so delegates, he also criticised many for not responding to the needs of the community.
”Clearly those who decide to stand for election as councillors must be committed to serve their people,” he said.
”It is wrong to meet them only when the president visits and it is unnecessary for the president to have to remind councillors that their primary responsibility is to serve their people.”
Mbeki also expressed concern about the high turnover of councillors, noting that 60% of them elected last year were new.
”So we have ditched 60% of the old ones … I don’t know what impact that has on the quality of work of local government.”
Mbeki further noted that the people who carried the heaviest load in local government were the mayors and councillors.
He said it was essential that other spheres of government should not be obstacles to the work of councillors, and should provide help to them when it was requested. — Sapa