Two dead, 55 homeless in Cape Town fires

Two people, including a minor, were killed and 55 were left homeless after fires broke out in Du Noon and Khayelitsha early Saturday morning, the City of Cape Town said.

“In the first fire that broke out at 1.53am at Site five, Du Noon, near Table View, the blaze destroyed eight shacks leaving 30

people homeless,” spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said in a statement.

“The fire caused the death of a male minor.”

The second fire broke out at 4.20am. It gutted nine shacks and displaced 25 people at QQ Section, Mew Way, and Khayelitsha.

“One adult male was burnt beyond recognition. His identity is unknown.”

The City’s disaster response teams would assist those affected by the fires with food parcels, clothing, blankets and building material.

“The cause of these fires is unknown and the authorities will probe an investigation,” Solomons-Johannes said. - Sapa

MEC checks on progress in housing poor

WESTERN Cape Human Settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela visited construction sites yesterday where the province’s new high-density housing projects are being built.

Madikizela took a tour of three sites along the N2 with department officials.

The tour kicked off at the Joe Slovo phase three A construction site, where high density “breaking new ground” housing is being built.

The houses are free to people who earn less than R3,500 a month.

About 2,639 units will be completed this year – the 42m2 two-bedroom units are attached to one another in a double-storey townhouse style with solar geysers.

Project managers said about 1,000 units would be handed over to beneficiaries in the next few weeks.

Later the tour moved to Boystown in Crossroads where protests had halted construction three times since 2002.

The construction company there has now hired people from the surrounding community, said site agent Heinrich Fourie.

The Boystown area will have 1,392 one-storey two-bedroom houses and another 157 houses to be built in the Newrest “triangle” site closer to the N2. These are expected to be completed by March 2014.

Madikizela said he was “glad to see progress”.

The last stop was the new phase five Delft temporary relocation area, which has about 1,100 units made of insulated aluminium and polystyrene. There are enclosed and covered communal toilets and showers.

The City of Cape Town said the housing waiting list was behind by 10 to 20 years because 500,000 people needed houses while the province could deliver only 35,000 houses a year.

- Cape Argus

N2 Gateway Project resumes

The Western Cape Human Settlements Department on Monday said the construction of the N2 Gateway Project is back on track, despite initial delays.

Construction of 1,390 homes in Crossroads is going ahead after residents chased contractors away on three separate occasions.

Aggrieved locals apparently felt excluded from the project, which started in July 2010.

Before Western Cape Human Settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela could leave Crossroads on Monday, residents stopped him to discuss the Boys Town Housing Project.

The MEC said they have done their best to address all concerns raised.

He said construction was already eight months behind schedule, which was costing the provincial government more money.

Madikizela recently admitted that some 500,000 people are waiting for decent housing in the Western Cape.

- Eyewitness News

Human Settlements 'non-existent' IT contract exposed

Internal auditors have blown the whistle on a R72.6-million IT contract negotiated by the department of human settlements, claiming that the deal ignored mandatory tender procedures. 

They also raised a red flag over a perceived conflict of interests -- the department's top IT official was previously employed by the favoured contractor, the SAS Institute.

The leaking of the internal audit report to the Mail & Guardian appears to have triggered a witch-hunt in the department. 

Complaining that the leak "undermines the systems and processes we have put in place to ensure a clean and effective administration", director general Thabane Zulu said the motive behind it might have been self-interest and warned of "steps to correct such matters consistent with available remedies". 

A source in the department said the leak had caused "big trouble".

The department has repeatedly denied that a contract existed, despite signed agreements by the department, SAS and the State Information Technology Agency (Sita), which acted as the procurement agent. 

Business intelligence solution

Zulu signed a licence agreement with SAS on September 29 last year and signed a contract with Sita for the supply of SAS software and support for a "business intelligence solution" on October 14.

Zulu said the matters raised in the report, distributed to five senior departmental directors on December 20, were still being addressed. 

But the audit report suggests that the contract was a fait accompli when the director of internal audit, Thapelo Mashabane, raised the alarm.

Central to the deal is Sita, which appointed the SAS Institute -- a service provider on its database -- to provide a business solution for the department's housing subsidy system.

In the report the department defends itself against charges of breaching treasury regulation by failing to put the contract out to tender. 

Daniel Mashao, head of Sita's critical systems and solutions, told the auditors that the process was permitted in terms of regulations that allowed one state entity to piggyback on a competitive tender run by another. 

But the audit report says the IT agency "could not provide valid evidence" that a competitive bidding process was followed in selecting SAS.

Sita chief executive Blake Mosley-Lefatola, asked whether Sita had invited competitive bids, had not responded by the time of going to print.

Breaches

The report makes it clear that, in terms of regulations, the treasury has to approve all contracts valued at R10-million and more, which was not done. This and other breaches led the auditors to warn that the department could face legal action and receive a qualified audit from the auditor general.

The report also says that departmental IT chief Mandla Xaba was previously employed by the SAS Institute as its Sita accounts manager. Xaba's jurisdiction at SAS included the office of the KwaZulu-Natal premier, Zweli Mkhize.

The report says Sita initially proposed an open-source solution to the department, but had been told that human settlements wanted to emulate a "business solution" already in use in Mkhize's office.

Xaba told the auditors that he had declared his employment history when he joined the department on June 1 last year. Sita communications head Anthea Summers also said there was no contract between the department, Sita and SAS.

But according to documents attached to the audit report, binding agreements were signed and there was written communication between the parties showing that the deal was nearing its final stages, even though the contract might not have been finalised.

Signed and sealed

On September 29 last year, Zulu and SAS managing director Maphumuzana Nxumalo signed a five-page master licence agreement that, it clearly states, is binding on the department. 

Three weeks later, on October 14, Zulu approved a 17-page proposal with Mashao and Rodney de Koch, Sita's operations centre chief.

Written by Mashao, the proposal outlines the services the IT agency will offer the department, stating that SAS software will be used and the "Sita project management proposal will follow as soon as the project team from both Sita and SAS has agreed on the deliverables and expectations".

A letter from Mosley-Lefatola to Zulu, dated September 9 last year, shows that in August the agency had "received information" that the required system be similar to the one used in Mkhize's office.

In their report, the department's auditors also express the fear that the system may not meet the department's needs.

Mosley-Lefatola's letter purports to set out a competitive process proposed by Sita, but it was signed only on November 23, long after Zulu had already approved the use of SAS.

Neither the treasury nor the SAS Institute responded to questions sent to them. 

- M&G

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Cape fires leave 70 homeless

About 70 people were left homeless following four separate fires in Cape Town on Tuesday.

The first fire, in Khayelitsha's RR section around 7.30am destroyed eight shacks and displaced 27 people, disaster risk management spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said in a statement.

The second fire destroyed a house in Delft which left seven people homeless.

Around 10am four shacks burnt down at the Happy Valley informal settlement. Ninteen people, including six children, were affected.

The fourth fire at Mandela Park in Hout Bay engulfed seven shacks, with 17 people left homeless.

“The city’s disaster response teams assisted the victims with food parcels, clothing, blankets and building material.”

No one was injured and the causes of the fires were being investigated. - Sapa

Sustainable Hemp House

South Africa: Communities Urged to Build Own Homes

East London — Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale says people should start building their own homes and stop relying on government alone to provide RDP houses.

Sexwale was addressing a group of dissatisfied residents from the Southernwood Square Social Housing Project in East London on Tuesday.

"I'm often frowned upon when I say this, but free housing can't and won't go on forever in this country. I urge people to capacitate themselves in order to build their own houses," said Sexwale.

The residents ambushed Sexwale with their concerns at the project's official launch, which was also attended by the provincial Economic Development MEC Mcebisi Jonas, government officials and the contractors.

One of those unhappy with conditions at the project was Andre Bosman, who said the project was plagued by a number of problems, including poor infrastructure, leaking toilets and broken passage lights.

He said poor security at the project had resulted in a number of incidents of theft, public drinking and vandalism.

"We are glad that the minister is here so we can communicate with him about the problems plaguing this residence since it opened. We pay a lot of money and yet we have to put up with poor service," said Bosman, who has been living in the projects for a year.

Sexwale urged the residents to be patient with the developers, citing snagging problems as the reason for most of the complaints.

"In construction, we have something called snagging. These are problems that arise during and after the completion of construction projects that must be attended to after the company in charge of building and maintenance has identified the problems. So we ask you to be patient because these problems will be addressed," said Sexwale.

He congratulated Buffalo City Metro Municipality for its efforts to accelerate social housing projects, which has seen the metro score the highest when it comes to the construction and provision of social housing.

Sexwale said the nine-storey building, which caters for households earning between R2 500 and R7 500 per month, pushed boundaries in terms of design and structural engineering.

"The project consists of 249 units, 57 bachelor flats, 78 one bedroom flats and 114 two bedrooms flats. Through its construction, 140 jobs were created, 90 of which were for the local community," he added.

- allAfrica

Province Explains the Nuwe Begin Housing Project to Angry Locals

Angry residents of Khayelitsha's TR informal settlement met with Human Settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela on Tuesday evening to hear who qualified for houses in the Nuwe Begin Housing Project in Mew Way, Khayelitsha.

Madikizela headed the three-hour meeting at the Andile Msizi hall in Site B where he dealt with some confusion apparently created by the ward councilor who had previously told residents that the 1 200-unit housing project was for those who lived in low-lying areas prone to flooding.

However, Madikizela told the approximately 500 gathered residents that only those who qualified for RDP houses would benefit from the new development.

He said beneficiaries would be drawn from both people living on the wetland, and also from surrounding areas. He said the manner of selection would be fair and transparent, with priority given to those who had been on the waiting list the longest and were most deserving.

Of the 1 200 units, 900 would be set aside for residents of TR Section and 300 for Mfuleni's ward 17 and 107.

TR Section resident Zet Mcongwane said, "This is new to us. We were told that the project is for us, those who live in wetland. We have been waiting for houses for so long, now you are telling us only people who qualified will get houses."

When Madikizela confirmed this, residents expressed their anger, shouting "we fought for that land", referring to the two months of protests that occurred in October and November 2010 to highlight the need for service delivery and housing in the area.

The protestors at the time had set alight private property including a government car carrying matric exam answers, private cars, buses and trucks. The streets in and around the TR Section Bongani informal were strewn with rubbish, rocks and burnt debris.

Those present who had protested in 2010 accused the Minister of trying to divide them. But other residents seemed satisfied with Madikizela's statements.

TR Section resident Nomthunzi Jam Jam said ward councillor Luvuyo Hebe had confused residents.

"What the minister said is very clear, I'm happy with the explanation. We all live in wetland but the worst areas are those who live at the back. Nothing has changed, some residents are just confused because of the ward councillor and they scared to ask questions. The previous ward councillor said not everyone is going to Nuwe Begin. I don't understand the fuss because the 900 people that we agreed on will leave, then Madikizela will deal with the remaining people." said Jam Jam

Madikizela confirmed that the first lot of residents will be moved into their houses in April.

"We will have another meeting for the remaining people and look for another alternative solution." He said.

- allAfrica

Are Sexwale & Ramaphosa really white land owners? - Pieter Mulder

FF+ leader says Zuma's figures on land ownership are questionable, as is his history

Dr. Pieter Mulder, FF Plus Leader and deputy minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Reply to President Zuma's State of the Nation Address of 9 February 2012, February 15 2012

Mr. Speaker, honourable President,

What do the people of South Africa need at present? They need hope for the future. On my desk I have the slogan: "The poorest of all persons is not the person without a cent but the person without a dream."

The president and the speakers in this debate each spoke about of his/her dreams for the future. If only a quarter of those plans came to fruition, there is hope for the future.

Sir, make no small plans, because they have no magic to stir people's blood.

In the president's address there are big plans and big dreams for 2030.

The Freedom Front Plus welcomes the infrastructure announcements. This is a sign of long term planning and thus gives some hope for the future.

What is the most dangerous thing a government can do? It is to create expectations with citizens which cannot be realised. This is a recipe for revolutions.

Real leadership and statesmanship is that rare combination of the idealistic with the severely practical.

Why did the world cup projects succeed? Because there were deadlines. Because unnecessary red-tape was avoided. Because the best people for the projects were used. Because black empowerment rules and labour rules were applied flexibly.

Is the government prepared to do this? Or are we going to get stuck in the current climate of corruption, self-enrichment, inflexible labour laws, ineffectiveness and populist debates about nationalisation?

I mention two examples:

Mining and agriculture have the potential to create thousands of employment opportunities. Why did specifically these two performed poorly recently. Is it per chance that the calls for nationalisation from amongst the ANC are directed at specifically mines and agricultural land?

It is estimated that South Africa has mineral riches of $2,5 trillion. That is the mineral wealth of Australia and Russia combined. Yet South Africa's mining sector is in decline. South Africa's mining sector shrunk at a rate of 1% a year while mining sectors in other countries grew by 5% a year on average. The nationalisation debate definitely plays a role in this.

The past week's comments of the president against the nationalisation of mines brought more certainty. If the ANC's policy conference takes the correct decision in June, I predict good growth in the mining sector.

But in the same week the president repeated the statement that the "willing buyer-willing seller option has not been the best way to address the land restitution question." In plain language it means that the government believes in the nationalisation of agricultural land. Where there is now more certainty in the mining sector, there is less certainty in the agricultural sector today.

Anybody who has anything to do with the redistribution of land will prove that the problem does not lie with the willing buyer-willing seller principle. The problem is the disastrous way in which land redistribution has been implemented in the past 18 years. On my desk there are numerous letters of white commercial farmers who had offered their land to the department of Rural Development and Land Reform but have not received any response. Numerous letters from commercial farmers who had concluded purchasing contracts with the department and after three years go bankrupt because the department does not pay out their money.

The president quotes in his address the Department of Rural Development's figures on land reform. According to that, white people possessed 87% of the land and the government had reached only 8% of its 30% target. I seriously differ from these figures. As do I seriously differ with the statement that white people had stolen their land.

Land is a very emotional issue which have led to numerous wars. The president asks for a national dialogue about this issue. Such a discussion cannot be undertaken with propaganda facts, twisted history and emotional slogans. Next week this book, "Omstrede Land" (Disputed Land) will be released by prof. Louis Changuion (and Bertus Steenkamp). It deals with the land issue dating from 1600 until the present times. There are plans to also release it in English.

The ANC readily speaks of "Black people in general and Africans in particular." Sir, Africans in particular never in the past lived in the whole of South Africa. The Bantoe- speaking people moved from the equator down while the white people moved from the Cape up to meet each other at the Kei River. There is sufficient proof that there were no Bantoe-speaking people in the Western Cape and North-western Cape. These parts form 40% of South Africa's land surface.

There are also differences of opinion about the influence of the Difaqane on land ownership. Read the diaries of the Voortrekkers about what they found when they moved into the interior.

How does the department calculate the 8%? There isn't a completed land audit against which we could correlate these facts.

What does the ANC mean by 30% land in the hands of black people? Does it include state land and urban land? It is accepted that the state owns about 25% of the total land surface. State land certainly does not count as white land? Twenty five per cent state lands should then be added to the 8%. What about the Ingonyama trust land of more than 2,8 million ha of the Zoeloe king? Where is this and all the other communal land added? Mr. Ramaphosa and Minister Tokyo Sexwale recently bought a number of farms from white farmers. My source in Vryburg says that a company of minister Sexwale recently bought 30 farms in that area. This also has to be added to the 8%? In the Karoo and Kalahari huge farms are available. Why does the department not buy some of that land to reach their 30% quicker? These semi-desert lands are however added to the 87% propaganda percentage as white land.

The Development Bank calculated in 2001 that 44% of the land belongs to whites, 20% to blacks, 9% to brown people and 1% to Asians.

The way in which the department had calculated the 30% and 8% figures creates the impression that they are setting themselves up to fail.

I said land is an emotional issue. Propaganda figures and emotional slogans will not bring us to answers. Realistic debates with real figures however will.

The size of arable land under production dropped by 30% from 1994 up to 2009. Failed land reform, where 9 out of 10 farms are not successful, played an important role in this. Farmers now have to produce more food on less land for South Africa's population of 50 million.

I agree when minister Nkwinti says it does not help to merely chase after hectares. If that land does not produce food, we will have famine very shortly and then people will be running in the streets as they recently did in Mozambique when bread prices increased due to shortages.

In 2000 Zimbabwean farmers produced 2 million tonnes of maize. Last year, following land reforms they produced only 900 thousand tonnes. In 2000 Zimbabwe had 250 thousand tonnes of grain, last year they only had 10 thousand tonnes. It is not the result of drought. In the same time Zambia grew to where it has started exporting maize.

I want to repeat a quote which I used in the Cabinet Lekgotla. Mondli Makhanya wrote in the Sunday Times: (28/2/2010)

"...we are wasting valuable time and energy trying to restore people to their peasant ways.

Ordinary South Africans either do not want land or just do not have the capacity to work it. They want to go to cities and work in the modern economy... Large-scale, highly mechanised commercial farming is now the way of the world. You cannot turn the clock back four decades. That is just the reality. Furthermore, the young people would, as has happened elsewhere, have simply upped and headed for the towns and cities. Yet we continue to nurse the notion that we can reverse the inevitable march to an urban future. We keep wanting to fight the logic of large scale commercial farming... The money and energy that is spent on getting peasants back into subsistence (farming) would be better used to create a strong class of black commercial farmers who actually do farm for commercial rather than sentimental reasons."

I dream of white and black commercial farmers who do not have to go to Africa for opportunities. The children who were born in 1994 are 18 years old this year and can vote. They only know an ANC government. There is no reason why such a child should not be able to buy a farm or obtain a bursary, just because he/she is white. Yet this is still happening.

Sir, I want to give notice here today already that the FF Plus will be asking for a special language debate about the permanent onslaught against Afrikaans and the deterioration of all the indigenous languages in South Africa.

In politics one finds small people and great people. Small people are opportunistic and talk and gossip about other people. Great people talk and dream about ideas and the future. When we look back in 2030 to this debate, we will be able to determine who was busy with opportunistic small politicking and who was busy with realistic future plans in the interest of all. These are the dreams of the FF Plus and what we are busy with.

Issued by the Freedom Front Plus, February 15 2012 - Politicsweb

Farcical hearings mock democracy

If Tuesday’s  shambolic proceedings  at  Mamelodi and Sharpeville are allowed to pass as “public participation” on the Protection of State Information Bill, our democracy is in trouble.

Public participation is a constitutional requirement before such legislation is passed.

The ANC is making a mockery of the process  by skewing events to suit a deliberate political agenda.

In Sharpeville, Nosipho Ntwanambi, ANC whip in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), used her chairmanship to silence and ridicule opponents of the bill, while showing every indulgence towards critics of  the print media, regardless of whether  their points had any relevance to the bill.

It is clear from this and other interactions that an instruction has gone out to ANC functionaries: support the info bill and don’t entertain any arguments about a public interest clause, which is the main request of the bill’s opponents.

What we are  asking is for public interest to be used as a legitimate defence when contested information is received, published or passed on in other ways.

It’s not an unreasonable request. There could scarcely be a higher calling than public interest.

Yet, as the bill stands,  people could be imprisoned simply for having  such information.

Instead of allowing legitimate arguments along these lines, the NCOP travelling roadshow is letting people vent other forms  of grievance against the media which have no direct bearing on the bill.

Regrettably none of this is surprising.

Such irrational behaviour is not uncommon amid the heckling and jeering that passes for debate in  Parliament.

Now it’s transposed into public forums, where folk vent service-delivery complaints.

The bill already threatens our democracy. Farcical hearings add to the dangers.

- Citizen

Fire razes Cape Town shacks

A fire that swept through Nyanga in Cape Town has left 45 people without homes, the city said on Wednesday.

The fire started around 11.30pm on Tuesday at the Hlazo informal settlement, disaster risk management centre spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said.

Thirteen shacks were destroyed. No casualties were reported.

He said the cause of the fire was unknown.

Food parcels, clothing, blankets and building material had been provided to fire victims. - Sapa

New Social Housing for East London

Social housing projects are an integral part of the government's quest to enhance racial integration in South Africa, Eastern Cape Economic Development MEC Mcebisi Jonas said at the official launch of the multi-million rand Southernwood social housing project in East London on Tuesday.

The project includes a nine-storey building in the heart of the city's central business district and close to all socio-economic amenities. It consists of 249 units in total, made up of 57 bachelor flats, 78 one-bedroom and 114 two-bedroom flats.

People who fall in the GAP market

The project caters for households earning between R2 500 to R7 500 per month.

"Social housing projects are one of the very few vehicles we have of ensuring social stability through racial and social integration," Jonas said. "These projects are fundamental because they are situated in the city centres and cater for people from all walks of life."

He added that such projects were important in dealing with the ever-growing number of people flocking to South Africa's urban areas to look for work and to study.

Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale said the provision of medium- to high-density housing projects was one of the main solutions in dealing with the management of spatial integration in South Africa's urban areas.

"For us to make a difference in the lives of people who fall within the GAP market [those who earn too much to qualify for state subsidies but too little to apply for banks home loans], we need to have more of these projects," Sexwale said.

The project is spearheaded by the Department of Human Settlements, is managed by one of its housing entities, the Social Housing Regulatory Authority, and partly funded by the National Housing Finance Corporation.

'We want to deracialise our cities'

Sexwale said one of the ultimate goal of social housing projects was to create non-racial cities and towns across the country.

"We want to 'deracialise' our cities and towns so we can see all races in this country co-existing harmoniously," Sexwale said. "Integration mustn't be limited only to rugby games and other big sporting events, but it must be a way of life."

Residential executive committee member Lungisa Nazo, who has been a tenant at the project for two years, said: "We co-exist well with all other races, which is why I love living here. Even when we were drawing up our grievances to hand over to the minister's team, people from all races participated for the ultimate benefit of the tenants."

Social Housing Regulatory Authority chairperson Zora Ebrahim said she hoped the project would be the start of the "cleansing of Southernwood and the inner city", which has suffered from overpopulation and infrastructural dilapidation in recent years.

"We hope this project will create a trend that will see urban decay being dealt with both by residents and the municipality," Ebrahim said. "We hope it will ultimately lead to social cohesion amongst the community within which people can learn, play and pray."

Sexwale used the occasion to take a swipe at people involved in the hiring out of state-subsidised houses.

"People must stop doing this because it is taking away opportunities for those who genuinely deserve houses. Moving forward, we must reclaim the land which is currently being occupied illegally through shack renting."

Sexwale assured those present that the department would not "just provide the money any more", but would "follow the money" and see how it was spent, as it was the government's duty to account for taxpayers' money.

Source: BuaNews. Additional reporting by SAinfo

Housing MEC held hostage

POLICE had to be called when residents of Khayelitsha refused to allow the Western Cape human settlements MEC to leave a meeting after a row broke out concerning the allocation of new RDP houses.

This after MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela had allegedly failed to answer some questions regarding the allocation of houses in Mfuleni section.

Madikizela was escorted out of the meeting unharmed.

The meeting was attended by about 300 people, including ANC ward councillor Luvuyo Hebe.

About 900 residents of TR section, an informal settlement in Khayelitsha, and another 300 people from Mfuleni are set to benefit from a new housing project in Mfuleni, near Cape Town.

Addressing the meeting on Monday night, Madikizela said: "We have decided that people who will benefit from the project are those whose houses in TR section were flooded by the heavy rains.

"We will also give houses to people who have been staying in the area (TR section) for many years."

When Madikizela said he did not know what would happen to non-beneficiaries, the residents protested, claiming he was dividing the community.

They also accused him of instigating violence in their area.

Madikizela also said: "In order to be provided with a house, you must meet certain requirements. People tend to call their relatives or friends to occupy their old houses once they get new ones.

"We will make sure that this does not happen."

Madikizela also warned the project's beneficiaries not to sell their houses and return to informal settlements.

"We will take action against such people," he warned.

Residents wanted to know why some people were getting houses while others had been denied the opportunity.

Resident Ntombikayise Gomba said: "All residents in the area want to benefit from the project. I am not sure if I will get a house." - Sowetan

Plan to curb grant fraud

GOVERNMENT is to require more than 15 million social grant recipients to re-register for their benefits as part of a drive to eliminate fraud and corruption in the system.

The plan was announced in Parliament yesterday by Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini during a briefing to outline the priorities of the cabinet's social protection and community development cluster.

This follows President Jacob Zuma's state of the nation address last week.

Dlamini said the re-registration process, which is to start in April, was aimed at ensuring that government paid social grants to the "correct recipients" following repeated revelations that there were people who received grants fraudulently.

"We want to ensure that we pay the correct recipients.

"That is why we are going to re-register everyone, even children and older persons. We are going to visit them at their homes.

"We also want to deal with what has been said, that we sometimes pay the wrong people," said Dlamini.

There are currently 15,3-million people on the state's R100-billion social grants system, which includes 10,3-million children who receive support.

There have been allegations that the system was fraught with corruption.

Last year alone the Special Investigating Unit arrested at least 15 employees of the SA Social Security Agency on charges related to social grant fraud and corruption.

Dlamini, however, said while the re-registration process was intended to weed out fraudulent beneficiaries, it would also bring in more beneficiaries into the social welfare system as there were more than two million people who do not access benefits for a variety of reasons.

Speaking at the same briefing Deputy Minister of Human Settlements Zou Kota-Frederiks said the R1billion Mortgage Default Insurance (MDI) announced by Zuma last week, was targeted at civil servants such as police, teachers, nurses and other professionals outside the public service who earned between R3501 and R15000 per month.

The MDI, managed by the National Housing Finance Corporation, is guaranteed to encourage banks and other players in the housing sector to grant mortgage loans to those who might otherwise not qualify for such loans.

It fills the gap between those who qualify for RDP houses but do not earn enough to qualify for a housing loan from a bank, commonly referred to as the "missing middle."

In terms of the MDI, people falling within that income bracket would be eligible to apply for a subsidy of R83000 to help them secure housing bonds of up to R300000 from accredited banks.

"The billion rand won't be enough to do the work that we envisage ... that is why we are saying that housing delivery cannot be the responsibility of government alone," said Kota-Frederiks.

- Sowetan