There were tears of joy and excitement at the Westin hotel in Cape Town when the provincial Department of Human Settlements held the annual Govan Mbeki Awards on Friday August 31.
The Govan Mbeki Awards are aimed at recognising and honouring the construction companies that work with the department in building homes.
Distinguished guests, MECs business people and TV personalities were among those guests who attended the glamorous event.
The awards honour those who have performed best in the Human Settlements sector and have been running since 2008.
These awards are used to encourage and thank all the Human Settlements stakeholders who are making a valuable contribution to help government realise the goal of providing decent housing, security of tenure and comfortable living to all South Africans.
MEC of Human Settlements, Bonginkosi Madikizela, said they were not just building houses but were building homes.
Mr Madikizela said the success of his department depends on the good relationship between all the stakeholders involved.
He said their Department of Human Settlements was the first in the country this year to receive a clean financial audit.
This, he said, meant that every cent given to the department was accounted for and could be traced back to what it was spent on.
He said the demand for houses has increased and the fact that houses were given for free was not sustainable.
Mr Madikizela said the economy was not growing and the funding for building houses was too little. He said it was not ideal that young people were given houses but should instead be given jobs. But, he said, people with disabilities and senior citizens should be the ones getting the houses.
“We should be providing houses to the most deserving people. We should be creating job opportunities for young people not houses. Since 2009 when I took over this department we have delivered more than 200 000 houses.
“I have been the longest serving MEC in the country and this is my last time attending this event as the MEC. We are trying our best to deliver quality homes despite the endless challenges that we face. These homes bring dignity,” he said.
Founder and director of Hlumantombazana Civil and Construction company, Nosiphiwo Msitweni Sixhaso, was honoured as the second best emerging company.
Ms Sixhaso said she started the company in 2007 after she extended her mother’s RDP house in Harare.
The 38-year-old Khayelitsha resident said she then believed that she had the capabilities of pursing this career path even though she had no business knowledge of construction. But, she said, she had the urge and will.
Ms Sixhaso said she has built houses in Harare, Mfuleni and Philippi since the inception of her company. She said it was difficult being a women in a male-dominated industry and many people still believed that woman cannot run construction companies.
“This award is motivating and encouraging. This industry has taught me to be a fierce woman and stand my ground. This award also shows that you don’t have to have a business background in order to have a business,” she said.