Every human being deserved a simple decent place in which to live, the president and co-founder of Habitat for Humanity, Millard Fuller, said in Durban on Sunday night.
He was speaking at the opening ceremony for this week's culmination of the Jimmy Carter Work Project (JCWP) which has built 1 000 homes in 18 African countries. The final 100 houses will be built on part of former Cato Manor by a 4 000-strong team of volunteers.
Among them will be the first-time homeowners of the houses who will receive the keys to the doors from former United States president Jimmy Carter who arrived at the weekend with his wife, Rosalynn.
This is the 19th year the Carters have given a week to help build houses for the needy in support of Habitat, a Christian organisation founded in 1976 by former American attorneys Millard and Linda Fuller.
Thousands turned up on Sunday at the International Convention Centre to register for the building. There was some frustration at the long queue. Said Steven Zubkoff of the JCWP: "The problem was lots of people who had not pre-registered as requested came along and we had to turn them away."
As many as 1 300 international volunteers have all paid $500 (about R5 000) as well as their travel expenses to join the building. According to Samantha Schroeder, communications co-ordinator, one volunteer paid her entire way by selling nuts.
Carter told the audience: "I was born and raised in a society where black and white people were separate and the laws of my country permitted racial segregation as a way of life. "When I was in the White House, Dr (Mangosuthu) Buthelezi came to see me and explained to me life under apartheid in South Africa.
"When I left the White House I continued to be concerned about this: my daughter, Amy, was arrested three times for demonstrating against apartheid in South Africa.
"So I'm very proud and honoured to be here with all you volunteers."
Carter said he thought the preparations for the blitz build - which began today and ends on Friday - were the best he had encountered in the 18 years of his involvement.