Minister Simelane calls for stronger collaboration to tackle the country’s housing crisis [SOUND] 

# Minister of Human Settlements Thembi Simelane has called for an integrated approach and scaled partnerships across government, the private sector, and financial institutions to tackle the country’s housing backlog. An estimated 2.8 billion people worldwide experience various forms of housing inadequacy, while close to 1.1 billion people live in slums and informal settlements. The department’s spokesperson, Tsekiso Machike, says the country’s response to urbanisation must go beyond policy development and focus on implementation, partnerships, and meaningful participation by all sectors of society: