Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Cornubia Integrated Human Settlement Milestone Celebration, Cornubia, eThekwini

Programme Director,
Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Mr Thami Ntuli,
Minister of Human Settlements, Ms Thembi Simelane,
Executive Mayor of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, Cllr Cyril Xaba,
Amakhosi,
Representatives of political parties,
Representatives of community and faith-based organisations,
Residents of Cornubia,
Members of the media,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Sanibonani. Molweni. Dumelang. Avuxeni. Ndi matsheloni. Lotjhani. Goeie môre.

Ngiyajabula kakhulu ukuba lapha, nomphakathi we-Cornubia.

Le ndawo ingaphezu nje kwendlu yokuhlala yabantu bethu.

Imele intuthuko, nethemba.

This development represents hope for the many families who were affected by the catastrophic floods that swept through this province four years ago.

In 2022, these families lost everything.

Today, they receive a permanent home they can call their own.

In the immediate aftermath of the floods, Government provided them with shelter, first in mass care centres and then in temporary emergency accommodation.

Life was difficult. Conditions were cramped.

Public transport was hard to reach. Many learners had to travel far to get to school.

We were therefore determined to find a permanent solution for the affected families.

The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government identified the Cornubia Housing Development as part of that solution.

It directed that units be built here for families moving out of temporary accommodation.

Today, we are handing over houses to many of these families.

Another 145 houses are under construction in Phase 2, which we launched today.

By mid-2027, a total of 460 permanent homes should have been completed.

Four years since the floods, we have made great progress in resettling the people whose homes were destroyed.

Beyond Cornubia, more homes have been built across KwaZulu-Natal to house the flood victims.

Emergency accommodation must never become a permanent way of life.

The end goal must be housing that delivers dignity.

This year, we mark 30 years since the adoption of our Constitution, which affirms the right of everyone to have access to adequate housing.

Since the advent of democracy, Government has delivered more than 5 million housing opportunities.

From the Census, we know that the share of households living in formal dwellings has risen from 65 percent in 1996 to more than 88 percent in 2022.

Few countries have provided housing to their people on this scale.

Yet the need remains great.

Population growth and rapid urbanisation mean that nearly 4 million individuals are still on the national housing needs register.

We must acknowledge that too many of the houses built in the early years of democracy were located far from jobs and services.

Housing must be within reach of schools, health services and transport.

It must be close to economic opportunity and community facilities.

That is why we have sought to build not just houses, but human settlements.

We have sought to build integrated neighbourhoods, where residents have what they need to live comfortable lives.

Integrated human settlements bring homes, schools, clinics, shops, parks and transport together in one place.

They bring together people of different incomes in the same neighbourhood.

They cut the time and money that working people spend travelling to work.

And they build communities, not just housing estates.

Human settlements must reverse the legacy of apartheid spatial planning.

That planning forcibly displaced black communities to townships and settlements on the edge of this city.

It placed them far from economic opportunity and places of work.

This is what the Cornubia Integrated Human Settlement aims to change.

This is a development covering an area of more than 1,300 hectares.

It includes a permanent primary school, Solomon Mahlangu Primary School.

It includes community retail facilities, sports facilities, a multi-purpose hall and a clinic.

And it includes planning for early childhood development and transport infrastructure.

Phase I of the project has been completed, with more than 2,600 houses built and handed over to their new owners.

Phases IIA and IIB are under construction.

We commend the eThekwini Metro for upgrading wastewater treatment and electricity capacity.

We commend the metro for building a clinic and the pedestrian bridge over the R102.

And we commend the work under way on the major interchanges nearby.

We are also encouraged by the momentum behind Phase I of the Cornubia Business Park, now under construction.

Construction of the business park has already created around 300 jobs.

The wider project is expected to create more than 2,000 jobs.

eThekwini is a rising star in attracting investment into KwaZulu-Natal.

And with investment comes new economic opportunity for our people.

But to take up these opportunities and find work, people need decent, affordable housing close to where the jobs are.

At a time where the cost of living is already high for many people, when people spend much of their income on transport, it is essential that we accelerate the work under way here at Cornubia.

It is expected that Cornubia will be home to more than 110,000 people over the next 10 to 15 years.

That is why the Cornubia Framework Plan envisages the construction of social infrastructure such as schools, clinics, early childhood development centres, libraries, sports facilities, community halls, places of worship, police stations and other social facilities.

To get there, we need to work faster, better and smarter.

Problems with construction, beneficiary lists and other delays must be resolved.

Outstanding title deeds must be finalised.

Cornubia is part of a broader shift in the way we provide housing as a nation.

We are working to remake our cities and reduce the cost of living for families.

We are doing this by expanding affordable housing and revitalising commuter rail.

We are introducing a new model for housing, where people are given subsidies for ownership and rental in areas that are suitable for them.

We are shifting from building houses for people to supporting them to build, buy or rent their own homes.

We are releasing well-located public land for housing.

And we are working to unblock stalled housing projects, so that no family is left waiting for a home that was promised.

We see human settlements as catalysts for broader economic activity.

That is why the Cornubia development will continue to support local participation and economic opportunities.

These include opportunities in construction, in maintenance and in community facilities.

We are determined that this must be done through transparent processes.

We will not allow corruption, extortion or patronage.

Finishing this project is about more than putting roofs over people’s heads.

It is about bringing people closer to opportunity.

Where families have received permanent homes, we celebrate that progress.

But for the families still waiting, the wait carries a real cost in lost opportunity.

We must be clear about what remains outstanding.

We must be clear about the dates by which each commitment will be met.

We must be transparent with the community.

People should not have to rely on rumours to understand allocation processes, construction progress or relocation dates.

We must tell communities clearly who is eligible and how units are allocated.

And we must give them regular updates on progress.

Any allegations of fraud, queue-jumping, unlawful occupation or interference with beneficiary lists must be reported and investigated.

We ask the community to protect completed houses, public facilities and infrastructure.

We ask the community to reject the unlawful sale or occupation of subsidised housing.

This programme will succeed when everyone fulfils their responsibilities.

That means government, the municipality, implementing agencies, community leaders and residents.

Next Wednesday, the 4th of November, South Africans will vote in the Local Government Elections.

I call on every registered voter to go out and exercise their democratic right.

We need municipalities that maintain infrastructure, provide basic services and stand firm against construction mafias.

We need local government that responds to communities and their needs.

Citizens are entitled to a municipality that listens and communicates.

My message to incoming councillors is clear.

Listen to communities and treat them as partners.

Because it is through partnership that we make progress.

For what we have achieved in Cornubia to date, we acknowledge the contribution of the Presidential eThekwini Working Group and the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government.

This includes the provincial Departments of Public Works, Education and Health.

We thank the South African Social Security Agency, the South African National Roads Agency and the Housing Development Agency.

We thank the eThekwini Municipality, the Old Mutual Foundation, the Development Bank of Southern Africa and the national Department of Human Settlements.

We also thank the communities and affected families who have endured uncertainty and disruption.

Today, we reaffirm that the path from emergency accommodation to permanent housing must be completed with urgency, fairness and transparency.

Let us finish what we started here.

Let us make sure that no family is left waiting.

Let us continue building Cornubia as a place of dignity, opportunity and belonging.

Ngiyabonga.

I thank you.