REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA COMBINED SECOND PERIODIC REPORT UNDER THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLE`S RIGHTS and INITIAL REPORT UNDER THE PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA or to build homes. The subsidy beneficiaries must contribute towards achieving access to the benefits of the housing subsidy. As of April 2002, all subsidy beneficiaries were required to make a contribution (of R2 479.00). Significantly, beneficiaries of rural subsidies are exempt from making this contribution. People with disabilities requiring reasonable accommodation have access to a “top-up” subsidy to compensate for the additional cost of housing. 455. The DHS conducted a review of its current national human settlements mandate and strategy and subsequently a macro structure that will support the delivery thereof has been developed. The recommended structure is aligned with the new mandate, broadened from the limited scope of “housing” into all spheres of “human settlements”, consequently necessitating the broader strategic objectives. The focus required valueadded analysis to ensure that the Department’s mandate would be enabled through the adoption of recommended changes, which would result in a tangible improvement in the current service delivery levels within the country. Within this broader vision, the Department is committed to meeting the following specific objectives: • Accelerating the delivery of housing as a key strategy for poverty alleviation; • Utilising provision of housing as a major job creation strategy; • Ensuring property can be accessed by all as an asset for wealth creation and empowerment; • Leveraging growth in the economy; • Combating crime, promoting social cohesion and improving quality of life for the poor; • Supporting the functioning of the entire single residential property market to reduce duality within the sector, by breaking the barriers between the first economy residential property boom and the second economy slump; and • Utilising housing as an instrument for the development of sustainable human settlements, in support of spatial restructuring. 456. The Comprehensive Plan for the Creation of Sustainable Human Settlements envisages enhanced delivery systems and approaches to achieve the vision and objectives set out above. Specifically, the Plan requires the housing sector to implement bold initiatives to achieve the objectives of delivering sustainable human settlements. 457. The human settlement sector has made strides and progress in setting the delivery framework and systems for the achievement of government’s Outcome 8 targets. In the Informal Settlement Upgrading Programme we have improved outputs and have to date provided nearly 190 000 households with upgraded services and secure tenure. 458. In 2011/12 we also took the necessary steps to ensure that households in the affordable sector increased their ability to access adequate housing. The National Housing Finance Corporation has commenced with the necessary work to activate the Mortgage Default insurance programme. The department has also revised the finance-linked individual 125