Eastern Cape Human Settlements MEC, Siphokazi Lusithi, will lead a memorial lecture and officially hand over 100 houses to destitute families in the Kouga Local Municipality on
30–31 October 2025. The two-day event forms part of the provincial Human Settlements Month programme, which features various service delivery activities throughout October in commemoration of Joe Slovo.
The memorial lecture to be held in St Francis, is an annual event hosted by the Department in honour of Joe Slovo, the first Minister of Housing in democratic South Africa. It serves as a platform for the Department to inform, engage, and empower stakeholders on its human settlements mandate and policy direction.
This year’s theme, “Remembering Joe Slovo: Strategic Reflections on Climate Change and Inequalities,” highlights the growing need to address the province’s vulnerability to disasters affecting both rural and urban areas. The lecture will highlight the importance of a coordinated and integrated response to these challenges.
Following the lecture, MEC Lusithi will handover 100 completed houses built for destitute and vulnerable families including elderly and beneficiaries living with disabilities on the day. Oceanview 1500 (568) is the Department’s project in Jeffrey’s Bay, aimed at transforming informal settlements into integrated urban settlements. The project is implemented in phases, with 568 units to be constructed in this current phase.
The Department celebrates Human Settlements Month in line with the UN Habitat, which encourages countries, institutions, and communities to commemorate the month of October with activities that focus on the challenges and victories in human settlements delivery worldwide.
Media is invited to cover the events as follows;
Joe Slovo Memorial Lecture
Date: Thursday, 30 October 2025
Time: 17h00
Venue: Cape St Francis Resort, St Francis Bay
House Handover
Date: Friday, 31 October 2025
Time: 10h00
Venue: Oceanview, Jeffrey’s Bay
Issued by:
Eastern Cape Department of Human Settlements