The formulation of South Africa�s Housing Policy commenced prior to the democratic elections,
with the formation of the National Housing Forum. This forum was a multi-party nongovernmental
negotiating body comprising 19 members from business, the community,
government, development organisations and political parties outside the government at the time.
At these negotiations the foundation for the new government's Housing policy were developed
and agreed to. This culminated in the achievement of the broad housing sector convention also
referred to as the Housing Accord that concluded into the White Paper on Housing 1994 The
Government of National Unity in 1994 made use of these negotiations and investigations when it
formulated South Africa�s National Housing Policy.
In October 1994 a National Housing Accord was signed by a range of stakeholders representing
the homeless, government, communities and civil society, the financial sector, emerging
contractors, the established construction industry, building material suppliers, employers,
developers and the international community. This accord set down the beginning of the common
vision that forms the essence of South Africa�s National Housing Policy. Most importantly, it
comprised an agreement that all of these stakeholders would work together to achieve the vision
encapsulated in the Accord.
The National Housing Accord was soon followed by the Housing White Paper which was
promulgated in December 1994. The White Paper sets out the framework for the National
Housing Policy. All policy, programmes and guidelines which followed, fell within the
framework set out in the White Paper.
The promulgation of the Housing Act, 1997 [Act No. 107 of 1997] [the Housing Act] legislated
and extended the provisions set out in the Housing White Paper and gave legal foundation to the
implementation of government's Housing Programme. The Housing Act aligned the National
Housing Policy with the Constitution of South Africa and clarified the roles and responsibilities
of the three spheres of government: national, provincial and municipal. In addition the Housing
Act lays down administrative procedures for the development of the National Housing Policy.
Hon. Mmoloki Cwaile
MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs
Mr. Phihadu Ephraim Motoko
HOD: Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs