Nomzamo Zondo

Nomzamo Zondo is a South African human rights lawyer and social justice advocate. She is the Executive Director of the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI). Quotes “The City, in all the buildings that it owns, likes to give the impression that they have lost control of these buildings. However, there is evidence that they didn’t lose control but rather deliberately abandoned them. Even though the City was requested to assist and had proposals of what should be done, they decided to do nothing. That’s why, in our view, Usindiso tells the story that we know – a story of abandonment.” D+C “People have a right to access to adequate housing. If they cannot afford accommodation, the state has an obligation to provide it. That is drawn from South Africa’s Emergency Housing Programme which is a specific policy in the National Housing Code.” D+C “The City hasn’t fully utilised the Emergency Housing Programme yet. In my opinion, they are not acting according to the obligations that the courts have imposed on them when it comes to rehousing people. They only have provided accommodation in instances where courts have ordered them and haven’t done anything to address unsafe housing conditions, even though the Emergency Housing Programme allows to use its funds to make buildings and houses safer.” D+C “Urban housing crises cannot be solved by city governments and administrations alone. The National Department of Human Settlements has the task of guiding municipalities and provinces in implementing the National Housing Code.” D+C “SERI has been working with inner-city residents for more than 10 years. We are available to help residents, civil-society organisations, the City and the state to join hands and tackle Johannesburg’s problems together.” D+C “At best, the draft Bill takes a cynical view of the poor, treating their motives for occupation and their socio-economic circumstances with suspicion. Such an approach will invariably affect the poor and working-class people who, because of continuing dispossession, are homeless and landless.” Ndifuna Ukwazi “It problematises occupation and seeks to amend the PIE Act, which is an Act of last resort, and the only legislation aimed at preventing arbitrary eviction and homelessness, instead of addressing the lack of urban land reform, housing provision and unaffordability that are contributing factors to occupation.” Ndifuna Ukwazi External links Category:South African women Category:Human rights activists Category:South African lawyers Category:Living people