Tsitsi Matope
Deputy Prime Minister, Mothetjoa Metsing, says lack of funding, access to affordable land in strategic areas and reasonably priced services are some of the challenges hampering the provision of decent housing in Lesotho.
Mr Metsing, who is also the Minister of Local Government and Chieftainship Affairs, was speaking at the beginning of the Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Namibia (BOLESWANA) Association Games hosted by the Lesotho Housing and Land Development Corporation (LHLDC) from 30 May to 1 June.
BOLESWANA, which is currently chaired by the LHLDC Managing Director, Mpho Molapo, was launched in 2011 with the major objective of bringing together housing development corporations from four countries.
Through the association, the corporations are able to exchange ideas and also use the games and cultural activities to promote the spirit of working together.
This year’s theme was ‘Adequate Shelter for All — Our passion’, which is in line with the four governments’ policies that promote housing as a fundamental right for all citizens.
However, during the event, Mr Metsing said despite the importance of decent housing in improving livelihoods, the majority of low income-earners cannot afford urban land and the costs of services such as water and electricity.
“That is why this platform is of great importance because it allows you to discuss and come up with strategies that would help us meet this huge task of ensuring decent shelter for everyone,” Mr Metsing said.
He added the LHLDC had since diversified its services, which only used to focus on providing serviced land, to also include building and providing housing.
“It is against this development since 2008, that I would like to push for the provision of houses to lower-income groups and firmly believe that the LHLDC management and board of the corporation are capable of driving various projects meant to achieve this task.
“We need to find alternative and affordable building technologies that would enable us to meet the huge demand for decent housing in this country.”
The chairman of the LHLDC Board, Hatla Ntene, on his part, said the four housing corporations should fully comply with the provisions of the association’s Memorandum of Understanding signed in Manzini, Swaziland in 2011 to help develop the countries’ housing sectors.
“If you fully comply, you can help remove the constraints hampering the development of housing sectors in your respective countries and even influence progress in the region as a whole.
“These constraints affect service-delivery, which can be seen by the low production levels and development of products your target market might not afford,” Mr Ntene said.
He emphasised the need for the corporations to design interventions that stimulate job-creation and reduce poverty, while at the same time attract other benefits that come with an efficient housing delivery system.
Meanwhile, the LHLDC Information Officer, Peseletso Moleli, said more than 200 workers from the four corporations participated in the weekend games, which included netball, football, volleyball, egg-race, relays and tug-of-war.
“This was a very exciting time for us and in particular this year because we hosted this annual event.
“This is where we learn as much as possible from one another in terms of our similar line of business and also interact through sport and cultural exchanges,” Ms Moleli said.
She added to promote the spirit of working together, members of the competing teams were selected randomly.
“What is also unique about these games is that the competing teams’ names are drawn from the items we use in the construction of houses such as Team Sand, Paint, Bricks and Cement.”
Winning teams in the various games were awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals.
