Government’s Human Settlements policy managers come to visit

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On Tuesday 29th February 60 human settlement policy managers from Government arrived to visit us. They included the Deputy Minister of Human Settlements (see pic), most of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements, many senior officials from the National Department of Human Settlements (including two Deputy Director-Generals) and officials from different municipalities. The visit formed part of a Cape Town-based workshop they had participated in on the implications of climate change for development. After showing them around the Lynedoch EcoVillage, they said they could now see what it means to implement in the real world all the lofty ideas about sustainability and climate change.

This visit builds on a long-term relationship between the SI and the National Department of Human Settlements. The SI, via its FET College called Learning for Sustainability led by Manda Mabeba, managed a three year project for the Department, starting in 2009. The purpose of this project was to develop a unique capacity building programme in sustainable human settlements. The target groups included both officials employed by Human Settlements Departments at National and Provincial levels as well as grassroots participants in housing projects that recieved housing subsidies. A set of textbooks were written and printed which constitute the first major SETA-accredited learning materials for capacity building for sustainable human settlements.