Human settlements minister Thembi Simelane has announced an Innovative Building Technologies IBT summit next month to help government accelerate housing delivery and transform the countrys pre-1994 spatial planning.
According to Simelane, the continued existence of informal settlements and mud houses is a critical concern, particularly in rural and disaster-prone provinces like Limpopo and Mpumalanga, where recent flooding left more than 30 people dead and hundreds displaced, as 3,750 homes were destroyed.
Natural disasters displace our communities and damage housing infrastructure, but the impact goes beyond housing it affects schools, clinics, hospitals and roads. We need new and innovative approaches to housing delivery that are faster, safer, cost-effective, environmentally friendly and climate resilient, she said.
