The Directorate of Housing in the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police is currently developing housing legislation to improve issues relating to housing in the country.
The Director of Housing, Ms. Mamphaka Mabesa said this during the Lesotho National Housing Bill Development seminar held in Maseru on Tuesday.
The Lesotho National Housing Bill is aimed at defining the responsibilities of the Lesotho government in issues relating to; shortage of planned land, inadequate housing development and inaccessibility to affordable housing finances as identified in the Lesotho National Housing Policy 2018.
Ms. Mabesa noted that the bill will make housing and urban development the national priority in line with the National Strategic Development Plan II-Strategic Focus 2023/2024-2027/28.
She said to develop a modern and practical regulatory framework for housing legislation, the Ministry is studying the practices of other African countries on housing provision and establishment as well as effective management of housing funds.
Moreover, she said they are consulting the key stakeholders to answer pertinent questions to guide the drafting of the Bill, saying these questions can serve as a starting point for the development of the Lesotho National Housing Bill.
Also speaking, the Housing Officer, Ms. Motšeoa Koali said the Bill intends to operationalise the National Housing Policy 2018 and will serve as the country’s leading regulatory framework for housing development.
Ms. Koali said the development of the Lesotho National Housing Bill involves a series of consultations and participation with key stakeholders at all levels to ensure a collaborative and participatory process, adding that the Directorate of Housing held a two-day meeting with the key stakeholders to agree on the objectives and strategic proposals of the Lesotho National Housing Bill.
She stressed that to achieve the progressive realisation of the right to adequate housing, housing should be promoted as a basic human right, a social good, an economic investment, a job creator and a strategy for poverty reduction.
Key stakeholders had an opportunity to learn about the housing initiative 2030 goals for the Directorate of Housing and their partnership with the UN-Habitat in the development of the new housing legislation.
The participant suggested that the government should provide affordable housing and through the Bill, it will be possible for every Mosotho to have adequate housing, noting that the Central Bank of Lesotho should also regulate banks to ensure that they provide affordable microloans for housing.
The key stakeholder present were the Ministry of Justice, Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Land Survey and Physical Planning, Lesotho Housing and Land Development Corporation and Maseru City Council.
By Staff Reporter: Noliwe Velaphe
