BY TSABEDZE KWANELE
MBABANE – “Housing is a constitutional right.”
These were the words of Undersecretary (US) in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Hlobisile Dlamini during the workshop to review the Human Settlement Authority Act of 1992.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is hosting the workshop to consult with different stakeholders on how to amend the act. Elucidating on the Human Settlement Authority Act of 1992, Dlamini revealed that, “It creates mechanisms to advance the provision of rental housing property, and promotes access to adequate housing by working to ensure the proper function of the rental housing market.”
Samkeliso Makhubu, who is in charge of the housing department in the Ministry, added that the objectives of the Act include, “To assist Government in formulating policy that is relating to human settlements, that is the first objective of the act. Secondly, to ensure orderly development of existing and future urban and rural settlements. And then, it also establishes the finance mechanism for ensuring the supply and maintenance of approved infrastructure throughout Eswatini. It also caters for appropriate standards in the provision of land, shelter, and infrastructure, by both private developers as well as public developers.”
The US also acknowledged “Housing is a constitutional right. However, it is clear that defining ‘adequate housing’ is not easy. In truth, what constitutes adequate depends on the specific contents and circumstances of households and individuals, and their needs and priorities.”
Undersecretary Dlamini further urged the participants in the stakeholder’s to make sustainable contributions to the review of the Human Settlement Authority Act.
