MyZA
News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff
The World Photography Organisation is delighted to announce the acclaimed Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado as the Outstanding Contribution to Photography recipient of the Sony World Photography Awards 2024. One of the most accomplished and globally celebrated photographers working today, Sebastião Salgado has achieved international renown for his remarkable black-and-white compositions captured over a career spanning …
Office of Tax Ombud ready to assist with complaints against SARS
While the Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) is committed to those seeking assistance with their tax complaints against the South African Revenue Service (SARS), Tax Ombud Yanga Mputa has reminded citizens that the entity is not in the business of helping taxpayers and businesses dodge their tax responsibilities.
Addressing the celebration of 10 years of the existence of the Tax Ombud, Mputa reiterated that the OTO champions taxpayers' rights and tax compliance.
“The office provides taxpayers and tax practitioners with a simple and impartial channel to seek a resolution for a service, procedural or administrative dispute they might have already unsuccessfully tried to resolve through SARS's complaints management channels.
“We play a unique taxpayer complaints resolution role and align with the Public Protector... The Public Protector exists to ensure administrative justice by being a check on the exercise by the government and its agencies of their authority, and on the other hand, the Tax Ombud exists to ensure administrative justice by being a check on the exercise of authority by SARS,” she said on Friday in Pretoria.
Mputa said the OTO is celebrating a decade of making a difference in the lives of taxpayers and a beacon of hope to scores who have tax complaints with the revenue collector.
Taking place under the theme: “10 Years of Making Taxpayers' Rights Matter," the Tax Ombud said until the establishment of the office, there was no independent redress channel for taxpayers, who had exhausted the normal SARS complaints mechanisms.
“The OTO was not a 'nice to have' but a prerequisite institution that has positively contributed to improving our country's tax administration system. Our intervention has saved taxpayers millions of rands, homes and businesses, to mention a few. However, we are not oblivious that we would not have achieved all this without our stakeholders,” she said.
Mputa said one of the important commitments of the Office of the Tax Ombud is the improvement of South Africa's tax administration system.
“Defending taxpayer rights is central to a tax system that follows a voluntary compliance/self-assessment tax system. In a voluntary compliance/self-assessment tax system, if taxpayers believe they are treated or may be treated arbitrarily and impulsively, they may mistrust the tax system and be less likely to comply with the law voluntarily.
“On the other hand, if taxpayers have confidence in the fairness and integrity of the tax system, they will be more likely to comply,” the Tax Ombud said.
In 2022, the Office of the Tax Ombud published the country's first-ever Compilation of Taxpayers' Rights, Entitlements and Obligations.
“This document's main aim is to highlight taxpayers' rights and obligations as contained in various laws, including the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 and the Tax Administration Act, 2011,” Mputa said. – SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Sun, 11/26/2023 - 10:12
Eskom reduces load shedding to Stage 4
Eskom has seen a significant improvement in its generating capacity due the return of some generating units that were lost to service and the replenishment of emergency reserves at the pumped storage and Open Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) power stations.
Due to this improvement, Eskom announced the reduction in the implementation of Stage 6 to Stage 4 load shedding, starting on Sunday from 12pm until 5am on Monday.
“We have seen significant improvement from Friday when we implemented Stage 6 load shedding and on Saturday. We have made progress as a result of the intensification of load shedding. The [diesel] volumes at Ankerlig Power Station… are sitting at 55%, Acacia Power Station at 50% and Port Rex Power Station at about 55%.
“Once they are above these levels we should be able to manage them. In relation to our pump storage at Drakensberg [we have] additional generation hours, it is about 90 hours of generation, Ingula we have 58 hours of generation and at Palmiet 33 hours of generation,” Minister in the Presidency responsible for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, said on Sunday.
He made these remarks while providing an update on electricity generation performance following the implementation of Stage 6 load shedding by Eskom.
The power utility said Stage 3 load shedding will be implemented from 5am until 4pm on Monday, followed by Stage 4 load shedding from 4pm until 5am on Tuesday.
This pattern of implementing Stage 3 load shedding in the morning and Stage 4 load shedding in the evening will be repeated daily until Thursday.
The Minister noted that Matla unit 2 has come back, Arnot unit 3 has come back and Tutuka has come back.
“Two things have happened that we promised. We have replenished our emergency reserves and some units have come back… Kriel unit 3 has come back. There’s an expectation that on Sunday… Medupi 5 [will come back] and [on Monday], we are planning to receive two units, Majuba and Lethabi,” Ramokgopa said.
He explained that on Friday there was a spike in the demand of above by 1 500 megawatts (MW).
“We had to do one of two things - either continue to deploy the emergency reserves, which we were depleting faster than anticipated, so that was not an option.
“The second option - intensify load shedding and that is the option that we followed because it is the most judicious option, with the challenges that were confronting us.
“The major problem started the week preceding the last one where we had significant amount of losses and this meant that we had to engage our emergency reserves,” the Minister said.
Eskom took a decision to engage the emergency reserves because we they were anticipating generating units to come back on time to provide relief.
“Indeed those units that were scheduled to come back were able to come back on time but then we had a significant amount of units that were failing. When we opened the week of 13 November, the emergency reserves were at levels below 70%.
“This includes our pump storage and the OCGT. As we continued to deploy them, there was significant reduction in those reserves, which is the dam levels and OCGT.
“There was a significant dip on 21 November and that significant dip in relation to the emergency reserves coincided with us losing units because we must compensate the megawatts that are lost as a result of the dip.
“Once it [the dip] reached critical levels, our primary preoccupation was to protect the grid and we pulled the emergency reserves back and as we pulled them back, it means that there were less megawatts available,” the Minister said.
He reiterated that if Eskom builds an additional buffer, it means that the country will be less prone to major fluctuations in the intensity of load shedding.
“…That’s why unit 2 and 5 at Kusile Power Station are important. We are targeting those to come back by the third week of December. Once you build that buffer, even if you had to have extraordinary events, there is some degree of buffer and therefore the rate at which we intensify load shedding might not be as severe as we have experienced over the last 30 hours or so,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Sun, 11/26/2023 - 11:32
Government committed to ending GBV
Deputy President Paul Mashatile has reiterated that government remains committed to work aimed at eradicating the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).
“We will not rest until our communities are safe for all, especially women and girls. We must report and condemn the perpetrators who reside within our communities,” the Deputy President said on Saturday.
Mashatile presided over the launch of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign for 2023 at Nsikazi Stadium in Gutshwa, Mpumalanga.
The 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign this year will be commemorated under the theme: “Accelerating Actions to end Gender-Based Violence and Femicide: Leaving No One Behind”.
This is a call to action to raise awareness about the devastating impact that gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) has on women, children and the entire social fabric.
“Since the dawn of democracy, this government has consistently shown commitment to addressing GBV by implementing legislative, policy and other measures to advance equality and empowerment for women, children, and people with disabilities.
“Recently, we passed six pieces of legislation related to gender-based violence and femicide, and the ongoing implementation costing exercise underscores our commitment to ending GBVF,” Mashatile said.
He mentioned that one significant milestone is the recent assent of President Cyril Ramaphosa to crucial legislative reforms, which include the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act Amendment Bill, the Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Bill, and the Domestic Violence Amendment Bill.
“This month marks a historic milestone with the passing of the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Bill by the National Assembly. The establishment of the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, underpinned by this robust legislative framework, is an urgent and critical task.
“In addition, we have established and capacitated the Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) at provincial and local levels to end the pandemic. This includes the development of the Comprehensive National Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Prevention and the Integrated Femicide Strategic Frameworks, which signal a holistic approach to turning the gender-based violence tide,” Mashatile said.
The Deputy President noted the National School of Government's effort to impart knowledge through a dedicated online course covering gender mainstreaming and gender-responsive planning and budgeting, which exemplifies government's commitment to mainstreaming women's and girls’ priorities.
“The existence of the Intersectional Shelter Policy, the Psycho-Social Support Services (PSSS) Policy, and the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre, which is a 24-hour helpline, demonstrates our resolve to provide essential services and support to survivors.
“Provinces are identifying and refurbishing underutilised buildings for shelters and interim housing. The Thuthuzela Care Centres (TCCs) are being expanded, with three new centres established. Our initiatives primarily focus on bolstering women’s economic empowerment across diverse sectors,” Mashatile said.
He recognised efforts by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in combatting GBV and femicide.
“The recent identification and takedown of 27 sexual predators in the country and the recent sentencing of Mario Giusti to 6 400 years in jail after being found guilty of more than 1 000 charges of child pornography is a step in the right direction.
“Witnessing such law enforcement actions is encouraging, and we hope to observe further arrests of this nature in the future,” Mashatile said.
He called on government, communities and civil society to act on the widespread prejudice against the LGBTQIA+ community and the apathy that allows the victims to be "invisible" and denied basic human rights.
“Moreover, we must understand that sexual violence is not only about sexism. A woman can perpetrate against a man, a man can perpetrate against a woman, and it can happen between same-sex couples as well.
“Today, we must recommit ourselves to ending violence against women and children. We have the ability to shape a future in which women and children are safe and their rights are respected.
“I urge men in our communities to be role models to young boys. Remember, boys are born, and men are made. As men, we can help develop men in our society who respect women; men who do not see women as objects; men who recognise the equality of women,” he said.
The Deputy President also urged traditional leaders to intensify their role as community leaders against unfair inheritance practices and GBVF.
“As custodians of our culture, customs and origin, you must say no to cultural practices that are harmful to women and children, such as ukuthwala, child muthi killings, witchcraft burning, and many other practices.
“Let us join together, leaving no one behind, as a community to accelerate actions to end gender-based violence and femicide,” Mashatile said. – SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Sun, 11/26/2023 - 09:02
DPWI exploring strategies to improve the management of assets
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Sihle Zikalala, says his department is exploring various strategies to improve the management of its assets.
Zikalala said the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) manages an extensive property portfolio of 28 683 registered and unregistered land parcels on which about 77 537 improvements (buildings and structures) are located across 52 client departments countrywide.
Addressing the Western Cape Property Sector engagement in Cape Town on Thursday, Zikalala said at present, the immovable asset portfolio under the custodianship of the DPWI comprises approximately 30 000 land parcels or 4.7 million hectares of land on which roughly 90 000 facilities (equivalent to 33.9 million m² of floor space) are located.
The DPWI is a custodian of the Government Immovable Asset Management Act, 2007 (GIAMA) which provides a regulatory framework of basic principles in terms of which national and provincial departments must manage the immovable assets that they control in executing their mandates.
“We can have a revitalised, attractive state owned property where there is optimal utilisation of state owned buildings, curbing of illegal occupation of buildings, reduced reliance on private leases while promoting longer term lease arrangements that will contribute to property upgrades, and improve energy efficiency.”
Zikalala said in collaboration with industry, the department has an opportunity to put state owned properties into good use to create value, generate income to support the ailing economy, provide sustainable employment, and drive transformation.
“To effectively deliver on our legislative mandate as the real estate agent of the state, we seek to leverage on available expertise, resources, and innovation within the property sector for the benefit of users of the accommodation space.
“We have seen, for an example, how [a] lack of maintenance results in dilapidated buildings and invites social ills such as crime and environmental degradation which in turn affects business; improper surroundings fail to attract investments.
“We only have one country and it is in our hands to work together for the common good. The ‘us and them’ paradigm only creates tensions and misunderstanding and as a result all parties suffer in the process,” the Minister said.
Zikalala said many parts of South Africa lose economic opportunities as a result of the failure to maintain and commercialise state buildings.
“Failure to adopt proactive asset management strategies in the public sector and lack of maintenance of existing buildings speed up their deterioration process.
“As you would know, several government buildings are old and some are more than 100 years old, and the number of vacant buildings is growing. Such vacancy increases the costs of maintaining and upkeep of these buildings without a return on investment,” Zikalala said.
DPWI’s focus is on public land and building assets and infrastructure and the way in which they can be utilised to stimulate and sustain economic growth in the built environment. – SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Fri, 11/24/2023 - 10:23
Nine judges in three courts have now ruled that Ezulweni Investments had a binding contract with the ANC
On the weekend of 10 November 2023, Treverton College organised its first orienteering and rogaining event. In the subject of Outdoor Pursuits, we do have the students doing these events, but this is the first one that was open to the public. Garry Townsend, the head of Outdoor Pursuits at Treverton, organised the event in …
Afrika Tikkun Services (ATS) in partnership with HSBC Bank hosted the 5th Annual Alumni Entrepreneur Network (AEN) Business Summit, on 11 November 2023, celebrating their ingenious entrepreneurs. The Summit provided young entrepreneurs with an opportunity to pitch their innovative business ideas or present their existing businesses to a panel of judges and a chance to …
President Ramaphosa opens Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Memorial Hospital
The opening of the Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Memorial Hospital is a reflection of government’s commitment to advancing the call of the Freedom Charter.
The Charter calls for free medical care and hospitalisation to be provided for all and for the health of women and children to be prioritised.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said this at the official opening of the Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Memorial Hospital in Kwa-Mashu, KwaZulu-Natal, on Friday.
“This facility has been built in response to the growing pressing healthcare needs of the approximately 1.5 million residents of Kwa-Mashu, Inanda, Ntuzuma and the surrounding communities in northern Durban.
“It will relieve pressure on the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital and Addington Hospital, and will cater for inpatients at a regional level, with referrals from surrounding district level facilities,” he said.
The President highlighted that data from the Census 2022 points not just to a growing population, but confirms that the vast majority of South Africans rely on the public sector to meet their healthcare needs.
Another report published this month by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) furthermore points to the growing healthcare burden of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic lower respiratory diseases, cancers and others.
“With more people living with non-communicable diseases, it is essential that healthcare systems respond accordingly at a primary healthcare level, particularly with regards to regular screening to ensure timely diagnosis and treatment. This facility will play a critical role in this regard,” he said.
He added that it is pleasing to note that the hospital has an active primary healthcare outreach programme that is bringing much-needed healthcare services closer to the people.
Services
The commissioning of the hospital was implemented in a phased approach from August 2021. First radiology was commissioned, followed by optometry and dermatology, and the migration of Internal Medicine from Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital.
In January this year, the Emergency Department commenced with providing services. Currently all emergency cases in the north of eThekwini are taken directly from the scene, from primary healthcare centers, community healthcare centers and district hospitals.
The facility offers an impressive range of services including critical care, dental, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychological services, dietetics, audiology, social work and many more.
The hospital also has a strong academic and research component and is one of the centers for postgraduate medical training, as well as providing rotation for final year medical students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
This hospital is also the first government hospital in the province to adopt an insourced model in components such as security, cleaning, laundry and food services.
With respect to human resources, out of the approved hospital establishment of 1 513, a total of 1 383 posts have already been filled as of end September 2023. The construction of the facility itself supported job creation and small business development.
The President said he had no doubt that the hospital will improve the health outcomes of all the communities it serves.
“We have no doubt that the people of this community and of this province know that we are [a] government that prioritises the needs of all, but especially of society’s most vulnerable.”
President Ramaphosa further said he was honoured to be present at the official opening of the hospital and that there can be no more befitting a name for this facility than that of the great Dr. Pixley Ka Isaka Seme.
He lauded him as a man who was the moving spirit behind the formation of the African National Congress, the oldest liberation movement in the African continent.
“He was a committed Pan-Africanist and a humanist, who famously spoke of a brighter day rising upon Africa; and of an Africa whose sons and daughters who would one day walk in the light of progress, freedom and equality.
Healthcare for all
President Ramaphosa added that the hospital stands as a testament to government’s commitment to ensure that the right to life, the right to quality healthcare, and the right to equality will never be qualified, or determined on the basis of where you live, or how much or little you have.
As the country will mark 30 years of democracy next year, the President said it will be a time to reflect on how far we have come in realising the aspirations of the Freedom Charter, the Constitution with its Bill of Rights, and the National Development Plan.
“That we are a country that is able to provide quality healthcare services, free, to the population can certainly be counted as amongst our greatest achievements.
“That we are moving ahead with the introduction of National Health Insurance that will further democratise access to healthcare services, is something of which we can be proud,” the President said. – SAnews.gov.za
DikelediM
Fri, 11/24/2023 - 14:21
Hazel Matipa’s New Church Street house was one of several properties on the same ERF which fetched a total for R13.5-million
Ekurhuleni calls for active fight against violence
As the country prepares to mark the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign, the City of Ekurhuleni has urged the citizens of the municipality to join hands and actively fight off any form of violence.
Ekurhuleni Executive Mayor, Sivuyile Ngodwana, said it is an unfortunate well-known fact that violence against women and children has been increasing drastically.
“It has become a trend which we are very ashamed of as a country and even more so as men because majority of the perpetrators of these crimes are males. I am raising my hand to be among those who vigorously fight against this continuing scourge.
“The City of Ekurhuleni stands in solidarity with all the activism taking place across the country during this campaign. It must be a daily fight which is not only comes alive during these 16 days but this period should be about intensifying our commitment to this cause,” Ngodwana said.
Ngodwana also called on everyone to stand up, unite and work hard to end any form of violence against women and children within their communities, schools or workplace.
The mayor’s call comes a day before the official launch of the 16 Days of Activism campaign, scheduled to take place at Nsikazi Stadium in the City of Mbombela in Mpumalanga.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile will preside at this year’s launch, which will be commemorated under the theme: “Accelerating Actions to end Gender Based Violence and Femicide, leaving no one behind”, a call to action to raise awareness about the devastating impact that gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) has on women, children, and the entire social fabric.
South Africa will observe 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children from 25 November until 10 December. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Fri, 11/24/2023 - 11:44
“Community radio initiatives are crucial to educating and informing communities” says Bush Radio director
Consumers urged to exercise caution when buying food products on Black Friday
The Department of Health has urged consumers to exercise extra caution when buying goods, especially food products, during the Black Friday frenzy by prioritising quality and safety over quantity and savings to mitigate buying counterfeit and expired foodstuffs.
“It is indisputable that Black Friday deals provide consumers with discounts and savings on a variety of goods. Therefore, it is important for consumers to guard against purchasing counterfeit and expired foodstuffs by thoroughly checking food labelling and expiry dates on food items to prevent ongoing sporadic cases of life-threatening food poisoning.”
The department has reminded consumers to be on the lookout and report any suspicious goods sold by outlets and retailers to environmental health practitioners or food inspectors at their nearest municipal offices or Consumer Goods Council of South Africa.
“Consumption of expired and counterfeit foods can pose serious health risks, including food poisoning, allergic reactions and long-term health complications.”
The department said through its food control and environmental health sections, it has been working closely with other stakeholders to raise public awareness about the dangers of consuming counterfeit and expired food products to keep the public safe.
The country, according to the statement, has 1 712 environmental health practitioners, known as health inspectors, spread across 44 districts and eight metropolitan municipalities, serving 62 million South Africans. This translates to one health inspector for every 36 000 people.
“This means the efforts to prevent production and selling of counterfeit and expired foodstuffs detrimental to human health cannot be left solely in the hands of food inspectors, but it should be everyone’s business,” the department said.
People are advised to not buy or consume highly perishable products with damaged packaging or lapsed expiry dates, even if they smell and look good.
Meanwhile, the department said the South African Police Service (SAPS) is empowered to investigate and is also authorised, under the Foodstuffs Act, as inspectors and has powers to collect food samples for analysis as part of their investigation, especially where there is a case of unnatural death.
“Members of the public are not allowed, in terms of this legislation, to take the law into their own hands to conduct any food inspection blitz in food outlets, but they should report any outlet to the relevant authorities,” the department explained.
Tips to identify possible illicit food products:
- Colour would normally differ from the original because incorrect additives were used to manufacture the fake products.
- Inconsistency in the texture, smell and colour of the product.
- Check if manufacturing and expiry date are not adulterated with or damaged, or not clearly visible.
- Check the nutrition label on supplements and food items because in most cases, fake goods contain some discrepancy in listing the ingredients.
- Carefully look at the packaging if it is not suspicious because counterfeiters produce close replicas, but mostly cannot perfect it. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Fri, 11/24/2023 - 10:11
JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa (CSA) has today announced the official appointment of Laura Wolvaardt as captain of the Proteas Women...
BENONI: South Africa A (SA ‘A’) captain Neil Brand led from the front with an innings-defining century on day three of...
The National Department of Health (NDOH) , in collaboration with provincial health departments, the World Health Organization (WHO) in South Africa and partners such as John Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics (Jhpiego), the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), convened the National International Health Regulations (IHR) Committee to review progress toward IHR (2005) implementation. The review meeting took place from November 20 to 22, 2023, at The Capital Menlyn Maine Hotel in Pretoria, Gauteng Province.
This review meeting was a follow up of the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) meeting which was held May 25 and 26, 2022 in South Africa. The review's objectives were to:
The facilitators included technical officers from WHO South Africa, the NDOH, and the NICD. Participants were multi-disciplinary and included the National IHR Focal Points, Epidemiologists, Communicable Disease Control Coordinators, Disease Surveillance Officers, Laboratory personnel, Port Health Officers, Environmental Health Practitioners from the Department of Health and Border Management Authority, Food Control experts, Antimicrobial Resistance Specialists, Animal Health, Infection Prevention and Control experts, State Security Civil Aviation Authority, and experts from other departments and partners critical to the implementation of the IHR in the country.
During the meeting, participants were updated on the WHO perspective on IHR (2005), as well as the country road map. Participants were also taken through the prioritization, assessment synthesis for quality planning, costing, resource mapping, and budget advocacy processes. The review methodology included plenary updates on the progress report for 2022, as documented on the eSPAR, as well as the status of NAPHS implementation. The participants then worked in groups corresponding to their respective technical areas to update the eSPAR for 2023, review the NAPHS matrix, and develop the annual operational plan for 2024. The recommendations from the first JEE, the after-action review reports, simulation exercises, the one-health national bridging workshop, and the IDSR strategic plan served as the source documents for updating the 2023 eSPAR and the 2024 NAPHS AOP.
This review meeting provided an opportunity for stakeholders to improve their knowledge of IHR and to commit to jointly strengthening the country's preparedness and response by applying lessons learned from recent emergencies and outbreaks such as COVID-19, cholera, and listeriosis outbreaks. The following proposals from the National IHR Focal Point were adopted by the participants:
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) - South Africa.
Mining company has not met the first deadline for an Environmental Impact Assessment
Kubayi orders improved services in Nelson Mandela Bay informal settlements
Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has given the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan a directive to provide informal settlement dwellers with adequate human rights services, including water and sanitation -- in compliance with norms and standards -- within seven days.
Kubayi gave the directive during an outreach programme, which saw the handing over of keys to newly built government-subsidised homes and title deeds to beneficiaries in Motherwell in Nelson Mandela Bay, Eastern Cape.
The visit on Wednesday formed part of the coordinated effort amongst the three spheres of government to effect province-wide interventions to accelerate the delivery of sustainable human settlements.
Kubayi said the three spheres of government and relevant agencies should present tangible responses to improve living conditions of various communities by the end of January 2024.
Responding to various concerns raised by the community during an imbizo, Kubayi said the three spheres of government must find solutions to the inhumane conditions under which people live.
“We cannot have instances where people live in Temporary Residential Units (TRUs) with inadequate ablution facilities. We can’t sit and watch injustice happen… we must intervene urgently,” the Minister said.
She noted some progress in the in-situ upgrading project in the metro, and acknowledged that more work needs to be done.
This includes proper verification processes, as “some people who demand housing in the projects may not necessarily qualify for fully subsidised government housing”.
“There cannot be repeat benefits, as the system automatically disqualifies anyone who owned a property before,” Kubayi reminded the applicants.
She said the Eastern Cape province has about 53 000 houses that require rectification.
“These are homes that predate democracy and also from the early days before the set norms and standards by the National Home Builders' Registration Council (NHBRC). Due to limited financial constraints, the rectification programme will be undertaken in a phased manner,” Kubayi explained.
Warning against sale of government-subsidised houses
The Minister reiterated the warning to beneficiaries not to sell government-subsidised houses.
“The current Human Settlements policy is very clear on who should benefit from subsidised housing, and it does not include foreign nationals. It takes R350 000 to build each house and you sell them for R15 000, and three months down the line you come back demanding housing from the government,” the Minister said.
The Minister also announced that she and Deputy Minister Pam Tshwete will conduct a verification programme, called Operation Ziveze, aimed at ascertaining that government-subsidised homes are occupied by their rightful owners.
Echoing the Minister’s sentiments, Tshwete warned residents about giving away their title deeds to loan sharks in exchange for quick, unsecured loans.
“I urge you to take care of your title deeds we are giving you today. This is not just proof of ownership, but also an asset for your children.”
The imbizo was part of a series of outreach programmes the Minister and Deputy Minister are embarking on to unlock challenges within the Human Settlements value chain.
Limpopo houses handover
Meanwhile, Kubayi and Tshwete will on Thursday hand over government-subsidised houses to the qualifying beneficiaries in Bela Bela Ext 25 in the Waterberg District Municipality, Limpopo.
The project is one of the informal settlements upgrading projects aimed at restoring the dignity of people living in informal settlements.
Bela Bela Extension 25 is expected to deliver over 1 000 housing units on completion.
The housing handover will precede the last meeting for this calendar year between the Ministry and MECs of Human Settlements (MINMEC) to reflect on the performance of the sector since the beginning of the 2023/24 financial year.
Discussions will include the release of land parcels for human settlement development, an update on government’s efforts to upgrade informal settlements across the country and the delivery of housing units, and progress on the title deeds campaign. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Thu, 11/23/2023 - 10:15
Hermanus – Western Cape, November, 2023: Growth in Motion: Empowering Change and Development in the Workplace Growth in Motion, a 51% Black Woman Owned QSE professional consulting business, announces its continued commitment to providing industry-leading change management and professional development services. With a Level 2 B-BBEE rating, Growth in Motion stands at the forefront of organizational …
Step away from the crazy Black Friday retail frenzy, and into your favourite Ster-Kinekor cinema to catch one of the blockbuster titles currently on circuit – for just sixty bucks. This special deal applies to all movies and all screenings at all cinema sites, but only on Black Friday. And Ster-Kinekor is sweetening the deal …
Cape Town, South Africa – 23 November 2023: The television entertainment sector in South Africa is undergoing a digital revolution, with streaming services such as Showmax, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ disrupting the traditional business model South Africans have used for many years. The power of these services is immense. These platforms boast impressive content rosters …
Centurion, November, 2023: Super Green Garden Services – Beautifying Centurion One Garden at a Time Centurion, South Africa – Super Green Garden Services, the premier garden maintenance provider in Centurion, is proud to announce its continued commitment to bringing professional and hassle-free garden care to the community. With nearly a decade of experience, Super Green Garden …
Ndifuna Ukwazi welcomes decision