Latest news with #HumanSettlements
IOL News
a day ago
- IOL News
Four-year legal battle ends as Cape Town Mayor delivers homes to rightful owners
Carl Pophaim, Mayco member for Human Settlements, Moosa Abrahams and Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis at the key handover ceremony. Image: City of Cape Town Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has officially handed over the keys to lawful beneficiaries of the City's Belhar-Pentech housing project, marking a significant milestone after a lengthy four-year legal battle to evict unlawful occupants. The handover ceremony took place following an unsettling incident where completed units were hijacked just hours before the scheduled handover on 16 May 2021. The Belhar-Pentech project, part of the Breaking New Ground initiative, comprises 340 state-subsidised units designed to provide housing for the metro's most vulnerable residents. To date, 332 units have been successfully handed over, while the remaining eight units, which were unlawfully occupied, are still embroiled in a protracted court eviction process. "This situation was brought to my attention shortly after I took office in 2021, and my office immediately launched eviction proceedings," said Mayor Hill-Lewis. "Over four years of court delays, the legal system unwittingly permitted the grave injustice of the illegal hijacking of these homes." Karel Juries Image: City of Cape Town The emotional handover saw beneficiaries like Oom Karel, who was thrilled to step into his first home, and Uncle Errol, who transitioned from living in a single room to a spacious two-bedroom unit complete with a kitchen, lounge, and bathroom. "We are overjoyed to hand the keys to these dignified homes to the rightful beneficiaries," said Hill-Lewis. The hijacking was orchestrated by individuals already residing in the area, who relocated from their homes to seize these new units. The legal proceedings faced multiple delays due to various reasons, including last-minute changes to legal representation and the challenges faced by newly appointed lawyers unfamiliar with the case. The City's R44.2 million Belhar-Pentech project was constructed between February 2018 and December 2023. Nearly all units were occupied long before the court order reclaimed the eight unlawfully occupied homes in September 2024, followed by an appeal order in February 2025. The City highlighted that unlawful occupants had already been living in homes in the area, and housing kits were offered to those evicted as part of the process. Councillor Carl Pophaim, Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, urged communities to assist in preventing criminal activities and unlawful occupations in rental and subsidy units. "See something, say something is our campaign call to action – if we work together, we can create safer communities," he stated.
IOL News
3 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
‘Firing Nkabane alone is unfair, Simelane, Ntshavheni must go too,' says analyst
SASCO and political parties push for Higher Education Minister Dr. Nobuhle Nkabane's dismissal, but one political expert says other corrupt accused ministers should also be held accountable. Image: Twitter The South African Students Congress (SASCO) has joined a growing number of voices calling for the removal of Higher Education Minister Dr. Nobuhle Nkabane, but one political analyst says she should not be fired alone while other ministers accused of corruption remain. SASCO, which has joined parties such as the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Democratic Alliance (DA), has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to dismiss Nkabane. Nkabane is facing mounting allegations of corruption and misleading Parliament about the process used to appoint the SETA board members - a list which was dominated by African National Congress (ANC) affiliates, including the son of Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, Buyambo. Addressing the media on Sunday, SASCO President Alungile Amtshe said Nkabane had failed students on multiple fronts, including by failing to appoint a National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). "The crisis facing students today is not incidental. It is the direct result of poor governance by the Department of Higher Education and Training and the opportunistic, malicious, and poor bourgeoisie agenda by the university and college management," Amtshe said. 'We contend that DHET, led by Minister Nobuhle Nkabane, within the government of national unity, has consistently failed to deliver on its most basic responsibilities - from the catastrophic delays in NSFAS disbursements to the flawed appointment of strategic boards meant to accelerate access to education and training.' Amtshe also criticised the chronic underfunding of institutions that serve working-class communities and accused university managers of treating higher education as a profit-driven enterprise. 'These managements are complicit in the systemic exclusion of Black and working-class students, perpetuating a two-tier education system that serves capital, not the people,' he said. He added that SASCO has no choice but to take a 'drastic stance' and called for Nkabane's immediate removal. Meanwhile, political analyst Professor Bheki Mngomezulu told IOL News that calls for Nkabane's firing appear selective, pointing out that other ministers implicated in corruption allegations remain in office. 'There have been mounting calls on President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire Nkabane, but what are they saying about Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane? It will be unfair to focus on Nkabane while ignoring others,' Mngomezulu said. Simelane, while mayor of Polokwane, allegedly took out a R575,600 loan from the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank to purchase a Sandton coffee shop. She has since denied any wrongdoing and was later moved from the Justice and Constitutional Development Ministry to Human Settlements. Simelane also faced scrutiny for alleged inflated billing linked to a R700,000 Eskom contract, which she vehemently denied. Another minister under fire is Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, the minister in the presidency, who was under the Hawks investigation for R2.5 million in alleged tender fraud dating back to her time in the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality, in Limpopo. She has not responded to the allegations. However, ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula has defended her, saying the party would only respond when it has 'something tangible.' The controversy intensified following public outcry in May after Nkabane recommended several politically connected individuals for the SETA boards. In addition to Buyambo, those who were appointed included former KwaZulu-Natal Premier Dr. Nomusa Dube-Ncube, provincial transport official Siboniso Mbhele, and ANC Johannesburg Deputy Regional Secretary Loyiso Masuku. Critics have accused Nkabane of political patronage and misleading Parliament regarding the selection process.
IOL News
7 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Bridging the gap: essential insights on property ownership for young black South Africans
Many black citizens have been denied the opportunity to fully understand the benefits and pathways to property ownership. The reality is that many segments of South African society have been historically disadvantaged when it comes to access to property ownership and understanding how it can be used to build generational wealth, says Stefan Botha, the Director at Rainmaker Marketing, in response to an enquiry from "Independent Media Property". Many younger black South Africans were unable to learn about property ownership from their parents, as it had not been a legal or practical option for previous generations. As an example, he said black South Africans were officially allowed to own property throughout the country in 1991 with the repeal of the Land Act and the Group Areas Act. He said that consequently, property ownership was rarely, if ever, discussed around the dining room table. 'This remains a significant issue in South Africa. Many citizens have been denied the opportunity to fully understand the benefits and pathways to property ownership, and we must work to change that. "One major consequence of this history is a widespread lack of understanding about good versus bad debt. As a result, many South Africans are heavily burdened by debt and have little disposable income, often due to acquiring short-term debt for cars and luxury goods. "This puts both individuals and the broader economy at a disadvantage,' Botha said. Last week, "Independent Media Property" reported that many young people do not understand the mechanics of buying or investing in property or how to plan financially for long-term ownership. Tsekiso Machike, spokesperson to the Minister of Human Settlements (DHS) Thembi Simelane, said the country must enhance financial literacy and property education, "therefore, incorporate property and financial literacy into high school and tertiary curricula". Machike said the country must also encourage entrepreneurship in real estate. 'Youth entrepreneurs in real estate are underrepresented but can unlock job creation and innovation in the sector.' The department said youth representation in South Africa's homeownership and property sectors is currently limited, adding that there is a noticeable shift towards investment-focused property purchases. 'Economic challenges remain a significant hurdle, but initiatives and advocacy efforts are emerging to support and empower young individuals in these sectors.' The ministry, which facilitates the creation of sustainable human settlements and improved quality of household life, said there is also a need to improve access to financing; promote First Home Finance to be more accessible, better publicised and easier to navigate for the youth, since many youths are excluded from traditional lending due to low or irregular incomes, lack of credit history or student debt. The property and lifestyle marketing agency said that a key aspect of this problem is that people often over-extend themselves financially by taking on the wrong kinds of debt, which leads to poor credit records. It said this creates a vicious cycle, making it even harder for individuals to enter the property market. There is also a critical need for greater education around improving and rebuilding credit scores and financial histories. This kind of knowledge is essential to helping more South Africans qualify for property financing in the future, it added. Botha, an experienced property expert, said he believes the responsibility lies with both the private sector and the public sector in working together to drive meaningful change in the local property and economic sector. He said from a private sector perspective, education around property ownership is absolutely critical. 'It starts with helping people understand the basics of property ownership - how debt can be acquired, how it works and how it can be used as a tool to build long-term wealth through property.' He said that from a public sector perspective, there needs to be a more unified and coordinated approach to promoting property ownership across South Africa. 'In my view, the government can play a much greater role in supporting and funding initiatives that provide property education and access, ensuring these efforts are rolled out nationally and reach all market segments.'
Daily Maverick
19-06-2025
- Climate
- Daily Maverick
Deadly Mthatha flood underscores worsening factors increasing risks for SA
As South Africa reels from another deadly flood, this time in the Eastern Cape, we take a look at the bigger picture of the nation's vulnerability. Floods are the country's most common weather disaster, with intense cut-off low weather systems, probably amplified by climate change, repeatedly causing devastation. After the devastating and deadly flooding that hit Mthatha and other parts of the Eastern Cape last week, people are still searching for missing loved ones, particularly children, and trying to salvage their belongings and homes. Mussa AjiDa said that they were still searching for his child, Simbongile, who went missing after the school transport Simbongile was travelling in was swept up in the Mthatha flooding on Tuesday, 10 June 2025. AjiDa was forlorn and exhausted when he spoke to Daily Maverick. Simbongile had still not been found, more than a week after 13 learners were swept away in the devastating scholar transport disaster. AjiDa said the search would continue until Simbongile had been found. This is just one among several cases playing out as South Africa responds to this most recent flooding incident, driven by heavy rainfall in a cut-off low weather system. Minister of Human Settlements Thembi Simelane confirmed on SAfm on Wednesday, 18 June that on top of the 90 lives lost – including learners from the tragic scholar transport incident – almost 1,600 structures and 5,000 people had been affected by the recent Eastern Cape floods. The immediate priority, she said, was to provide alternative accommodation to allow people to rebuild. But a significant challenge is the availability of suitable land, as many of the destroyed homes were built in unsafe areas too close to the Mthatha River, where rebuilding is not an option. President Cyril Ramaphosa promised last week that the government would assist those affected and provide shelter after entire homes were submerged and washed away. Year after year, parts of South Africa undergo significant flooding, wreaking havoc on housing, infrastructure, the environment and lives as the nation and communities attempt to build more resilient and responsive systems. Increasing trend of weather extremes Dr Stefaan Conradie, a climate science lecturer at the UCT Climate System Analysis Group, told Daily Maverick that recent flooding attribution studies suggest that rainfall from the cut-off low weather system along the east coast was probably becoming more intense due to climate change. In other words, climate change is likely exacerbating rainfall and causing devastating flooding in eastern South Africa. This was evidenced by the World Weather Attribution study on the 2022 KwaZulu-Natal floods. South African Weather Service (Saws) meteorologist and weather forecaster Lehlohonolo Thobela told Daily Maverick that there was an increasing trend of weather extremes over the central and eastern parts of the country, especially with many adverse weather conditions linked to heavy rainfall affecting KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. In this case, an intense cut-off low weather system developed in the upper atmosphere on Sunday, 8 June, as forecast by Saws. Conradie said that as it moved across the eastern escarpment and south-east coast, a very intense surface low-pressure system developed roughly beneath it. This drove extremely strong winds that also transported a lot of moisture off the still relatively warm Agulhas Current region. 'Extremely heavy rainfall and destructive wind gusts resulted, particularly in the early hours of Tuesday, 10 Jun, over the eastern parts of the Eastern Cape,' said Conradie Multiple intersecting factors result in these kinds of disasters; weather and climate are only one aspect of that landscape. 'The adverse weather conditions in the Eastern Cape were because of the cut-off low that began by affecting the Western Cape and the Northern Cape from 7 June 2025. The weather system progressed to the eastern parts of the country and started to cause havoc over the Eastern Cape from 9-10 June 2025, Monday and Tuesday. The adverse weather conditions lasted for the week, with the emergency teams still helping. The weather system exited the area by Wednesday, 11 June 2025,' said Thobela. The areas over the central and eastern half of the Eastern Cape that were hit the hardest, recorded more than 50mm of rainfall water depth in 24 hours – Mthatha recorded 149mm, Port Alfred recorded 51.6mm and Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) recorded 93.6 mm. But rainfall was not the only factor that escalated the disaster. Following an assessment by the Department of Water and Sanitation, engineers determined that the Mthatha flooding was exacerbated by two simultaneous events. On Monday, 9 June 2025, the Mthatha Dam was already at 99.8% capacity before sudden upstream rains raised its level to 102% by midnight, causing it to spill. At the same time, the Cicira River tributary, located downstream from the dam, was also experiencing flash floods. The department said that it was this combination of the dam's spillage and the heavy, independent flow from the flooded tributary that caused the Mthatha River to overflow its banks. Floods most common disasters in SA and Africa A recent study, published in May 2025, analysing weather-related disasters in South Africa from 1980 to 2023, found that floods and storms are the most common disasters in the country, with the highest number of incidents reported in KwaZulu-Natal. The research, which used the Emergency Events Database, also identified the primary weather systems driving these events. It was conducted by researchers from the University of Pretoria, the Global Change Institute at the University of Witwatersrand, the University of Limpopo, the South African Weather Service and others. Their analysis revealed that the eThekwini metropolitan municipality in KwaZulu-Natal recorded the most disasters during this period, while the Cape Town metropolitan area had the highest number in the western region of South Africa. In Gauteng, the most populous province in the country, Johannesburg saw the highest number of floods, and Ekurhuleni had the most storms. This aligns with what has been experienced across the continent – flooding has been the leading natural disaster in African countries for decades. The study found that floods were the most reported disaster type, with 49 occurrences, followed by storms with 33. Droughts and wildfires were the next most common, with 11 and 10 events, respectively. When it comes to the geographic distribution of these, the eastern part of South Africa, particularly KwaZulu-Natal, experienced the highest frequency of both floods and storms. The Cape Town metro was a hotspot for droughts. When it came to what has been driving the weather systems causing these, the study linked flood and storm disasters to eight types of synoptic weather systems. Cut-off lows were the most significant, causing 48 of the reported disasters. Upper troughs were the second most influential, responsible for 15 disasters. Ex-tropical cyclones were linked to four disasters during the 43-year period. Cut-off lows were also responsible for the Heritage Day floods in Cape Town in 2023 and the Nelson Mandela Bay floods of April and June 2024. The researchers found that the concentration of disasters in metropolitan areas such as eThekwini and Cape Town suggests that human factors such as urbanisation may amplify the impacts of extreme weather events. The research was based on data from the Emergency Events Database, which has specific criteria for including an event, such as 10 or more deaths, 100 or more people affected, a declaration of a state of emergency, or a call for international assistance. The authors noted that while their study provided a comprehensive overview, the reliance on the Emergency Events Database could lead to an underestimation of disaster events, particularly in rural areas where reporting may be less consistent. The study concluded that mid-latitude, mid-tropospheric systems were the primary drivers of flood and storm disasters in South Africa; it is hoped that these findings enhance the understanding of weather-related disaster risks in South Africa for better climate resilience and proactive disaster management. Thobela said the most important lesson they were learning was to make sure there was better communication with the affected communities and to make sure that there were more community engagements that taught about being proactive about weather warnings, rather than reactive. DM
News24
18-06-2025
- Politics
- News24
Eastern Cape floods: R1.2bn needed to rebuild homes, govt mulls housing policy reforms
About 4 652 households were affected and at least 90 people killed following flooding in the Eastern Cape, with Mthatha being the epicentre. Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane suggested giving victims building materials rather than waiting for lengthy tender processes. The Eastern Cape government said it was engaging with traditional leaders to secure land away from flood-prone river banks. The government estimates it will require R1.2 billion to build houses for Eastern Cape flood victims. Due to the urgency of the situation, not all parts of the rebuilding process might undergo the normal tender process. On Wednesday afternoon, Eastern Cape Human Settlements MEC Siphokazi Lusithi told News24 that 4 652 households were affected by last week's deadly deluge. At least 90 people were killed. The provincial government said residents might be given building materials to construct their houses - a normal process in the rural Eastern Cape. Even though Mthatha remains the epicentre of the devastating floods, other areas in the province have also been affected. Lusithi and Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane visited flood victims in Butterworth on Wednesday afternoon. The floods have displaced more than 1 000 residents, mostly from informal settlements. Simelane said flood victims who built their houses near riverbanks would be asked to move their structures at the start of the rebuilding process. 'First, we would like to prioritise bereaved families, even if only for a short term, to allow them to pay their last respects to their deceased family members.' She added the government was working towards doing away with temporary accommodation. Simelane said: The MEC [Lusithi] is busy with the intervention regarding land access. Traditional leaders are making a huge promise to us. In Mthatha, we are engaging with the Department of Public Works for land availability. She added the floods were one of the biggest disasters the government had ever faced. 'One of the lessons we are learning as the Department of Human Settlements is that we need to rethink our housing, emergency and grant policies. 'Why are we tendering for RDP houses? People in rural areas build houses for themselves. But if the government can say, 'We know your mud house has collapsed and here is the building material', instead of making them wait for 10 years for the tendering process. 'If we can buy the building materials and have NHBRC [the National Home Builders Registration Council] oversee the people who are building, people would take pride in the idea. They would never sell those houses. 'I am not claiming this would be easy, but we need to reconsider our housing policy,' said Simelane. Lusithi added R1.2 billion would be needed to rebuild the destroyed houses, 'which goes to the point that the minister [Simelane] was making that we need to reconsider how we respond to disasters'. Khangelani Mangisa, 37, has lived in the Skiti informal settlement in Butterworth for the past 17 years. The area was hit hard by the floods, which displaced many residents. 'I would love to go back to a brick-and-mortar house. I lived in a shack because I could not build a house. The idea by the minister to give us land and building materials is a great one,' added Mangisa.
