National Housing Policy, a Road Map for Development Settlements – Principal Secretary
MASERU, Lesotho, September 14, 2022/APO Group/ —
Lesotho faces challenges regarding the disorderly growth and development of human settlements thus slums and informal settlements despite the existence of policies, laws, and governance.
The Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftainship, Mr. Lefu Manyokole said this when addressing participants at the National Housing Policy, draft of the National Slum Upgrading and Prevention Strategy workshop held in Maseru on Tuesday.
Mr. Manyokole said the National Housing Policy is the road map toward the developmental settlement and housing in Lesotho, saying this workshop is the step toward the implementation of objective 4 of the Housing Policy aimed at improving infrastructure provision in informal settlement by developing the National Slum Upgrading and Prevention Strategy.
He said the strategies will facilitate the realisation of the right to secure tenure, the right to basic services, the right to adequate housing, and an adequate standard of living.
Moreover, he said the objectives of the workshop are, therefore, to review the draft strategy, and present possible solutions in alignment with the local and international best practices for adequate housing.
“This is a highly participatory process and it is key for planning human settlements and cities that work for everyone, making them inclusive and sustainable,” Mr. Manyokole explained.
He, therefore, urged participants to focus on discussing proposed strategies for slum and informal settlements upgrading and prevention.
He said for them to achieve the goals and objectives of the National Housing Policy and of the National Slum Upgrading and Prevention Strategy, Lesotho needs adequate and consistent resources both financially and technically.
He said in the next 10 years, they need to re-dedicate themselves to the wider vision of the National Housing Policy which envisages a country in which every Mosotho has equal access to safe, affordable, and adequate housing.
The Principal Secretary said the aim is to improve and strengthen their delivery on the ground and find innovative ways to carry out strategies as proposed in the National Slum Upgrading and Prevention Strategy leading to the development of the City-Wide Slum Upgrading and Prevention Action Plan.
