There shall be houses, security and comfort for all!
The ANC will continue to protect and strengthen the gains we made our the last 15 years. Through our programmes for housing, social security, sport and recreation, we aim to continue to build a better life for all. Housing is not just about building houses. It is also about transforming our cities and towns and building cohesive, sustainable and caring communities with closer access to work, social amenities, including sports and recreation facilities. Our social security system, such as the provision of social grants, is aimed at empowering our people to take active part in the social and economic life of our country. In addition, ANC policies will continue to promote the role of inter-faith organisations in promoting cohesive, caring and sustainable communities. In the next five years, the ANC plans to:
- Expand the provision of the child support grant to children aged 15 to 18. This will be implemented in a phased manner and will be linked to compulsory schooling requirement. Legislative measures will be taken to ensure that we realise this requirement.
- Work towards bolder expansion of unemployment insurance.
- Introduce a contributory social security system to provide for guaranteed retirement, disability and survivors’ benefit, while streamlining the road accident, occupational injuries and the unemployment benefits. The ANC government will consult closely with trade unions on any changes to the pensions system.
- Establish a consensus on our future social security system to make it comprehensive and inclusive.
- Increase access to secure and decent housing for all through government’s newly adopted housing programme, including continued conversion of hostels into family housing units, strengthening partnerships with the private sector and the banks to increase access to decent housing. Other plans include acceleration of public rental and social housing by ensuring more provincial and local government is earmarked for this purpose, support for community-self building efforts and housing co-operatives, and ensuring that land close to urban centres is made available for low cost and public housing.
- Ensure that all qualifying military veterans will receive subsidised housing.
- Speed up the revival of school sport and ensure that it forms part of the school curriculum. In addition, the ANC government will ensure that the provision of sport facilities in poorer communities receives priority.
- To create further opportunities for the training of sports administrators, referees and coaches so as to improve standards in sport.
- Promote partnerships with interfaith forums to promote social education for moral regeneration, religious tolerance, social cohesion and development.
- Ensure that the 2010 FIFA World Cup leaves a proud legacy that our children and our communities will enjoy for many years to come, and contributes to the long-term development of the country. The ANC government will work with all stakeholders to ensure that this world event contributes to create decent work opportunities, particularly for the youth, women and street traders; promotes procurement of local goods, services and products; and that housing units and sports facilities developed for the event are made available to local communities after the event is over.
