Minister Speaks at Indaba on Alternative Building Technology

October 1 - The Minister of Human Settlements in South Africa, Tokyo Sexwale, spoke at an indaba in Sandton this week, which examined alternative building technologies in the country.

Sexwale said that while it was imperative to build homes for those in need, the indaba should also examine ways to create towns, cities and villages.

He identified the need to use new technology to find available land and develop techniques for problematic areas such as wetlands and swamps.

"Given rapid urbanisation and the rate of population growth, with the diminishing availability of land in relation to the growing number of people, means we have to apply new technology to build better homes," he said.

Sexwale praised the government for building so many houses for South Africans since 1994, but said that much more needed to be done in order to provide a long term solution.

Issues such as new building materials and home loans for low income groups could also speed up the solution.

"This indaba shall have gone a long way if it provides the ministry with new ideas on technologies which are not only cost effective but of high quality, durable and sustainable," said Sexwale.

The indaba aims to explore how alternative building technologies can increase the development of sustainable human settlements.

According to the Director General of the ministry, Thabane Zulu: "The urbanization of alternative technologies as a strategy for accelerating delivery of housing is expressed in various policies of the department."

"We have a huge backlog," he said," but we have set targets for the department which will not exceed costs and compromise quality."

A number of groups exhibited their ideas at the indaba, including Eco Construction, Vinn Homes, Tile and Stone Designs,? Trumod and others.

10/1/2010 9:07:28 AM