Category: Government Opinion Pieces

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) in Mpumalanga says approval of the R350 Social Relief of Distress Grant (SRD) follows a process – one being a verfification that the applicant does not receive an income.

In a statement on Tuesday, the agency said applicants should note that if their application is still pending it means, it’s not yet verified.

“The applicants must be aware that the agency does not only verify banking details but it also verifies citizenship with the Department of Home Affairs, and it also verifies with the Department of Employment and Labour to check whether the person is UIF [Unemployment Insurance Fund] registered or not.

“If the verification of the above mentioned requirements are not yet finalised, the status will state ‘pending’. When the applicant has successfully passed all verification, SASSA will approve the application and the status will be updated to ‘approved’,” SASSA said.

SASSA said some of the delays that cause beneficiaries not to receive the R350 grant after approval is that they do not provide banking accounts/details but they only choose the name of the bank where they want to get the grant.

Beneficiaries have been reminded to keep on checking their personal details to ensure that they are correct and the grant is received by the right person.

For more information, applicants can contact the agnecy’s toll free number: 0800 60 10 11 or 013 574 9428/9363 from 08:00 – 16:00 during week days Monday – Friday.

The Electoral Commission has welcomed the signing into law of the Electoral Amendment Bill.

The Commission says the assent by the President provides the necessary legal certainty required to prepare for the National and Provincial Elections which will be held in 2024.

“Such certainty in the legal framework can only augur well for the Electoral Commission, the voting public, possible contestants, observers and other interested stakeholders,” the Electorial Commission said.

The foremost implications of the Act are as follows:

• For the first time individuals who are not associated with political parties will stand as candidates for elections into legislatures and the National Assembly.
• It commits the country to a process of Electoral reform beyond the 2024 elections.

Now that the policy choices for the coming elections have been made, the Electoral Commission will move with deliberate speed to finalise the supporting business applications necessary for the implementation of the Act.

These include, among others:

• Rewriting the Candidate Nomination System to facilitate the participation of independent candidates and unrepresented political parties together with a portal to enable candidates to capture the details of voters who support their candidature;
• Redeveloping the Results System to facilitate the recordal of votes cast in favour of independent candidates and translating these into seats where the relevant threshold is met;
• Updating platforms and mechanisms of liaison with parties to also include independent candidates;
• Reviewing the Political Party Funding legislation in order to include funding of elected independents; and
• Ensuring enactment of consequential amendments and regulations to enable the realization of the objects of the Act.

The Commission has now approved an integrated chart of electoral milestones which contains all activities and timelines that underpin preparations for 2024 National and Provincial Elections. In this regard the Commission wishes to highlight the following:

Independent Candidates

The Act determines the participation of independent candidates on the following basis:

• An independent candidate may be nominated to contest in one or more regions but may only be elected to one seat in the National Assembly.
• An independent candidate may only be nominated to stand in a provincial legislature in a province in which they are registered.
• An independent candidate may only be a member of either the National Assembly or a provincial legislature.
• A prescribed declaration confirming that the candidate has submitted names, identity numbers and signatures of voters who support his or her candidature:
• In relation to the election of the National Assembly, the names must equal 15 per cent of the number of votes required to obtain a seat for that region in the preceding election if contesting only one region o 15 per cent of the highest of the quotas in the preceding election, if intending to contest in more than one region.

Where the 15 percent of the highest of quotas is not achieved, that independent candidate may only contest in the region or regions as determined by the next highest quota met

• In relation to a provincial legislature, 15 per cent of the votes required to obtain a seat in the preceding election, in respect of that province.

Further requirements include:

• Candidates must pay a prescribed deposit. Deposits paid by independent candidates may be different from those paid by political parties.
• Candidates must undertake to be bound by the Electoral Code of Conduct.
• Candidates must sign a declaration that they are not disqualified in terms of the Constitution.
• In respect of provincial elections, candidates must sign a declaration that they are registered in that province.

Registered political parties that do not have seats in any legislature or the National Assembly will have to meet the same 15 percent quota requirement and also pay a deposit.

Ballot Papers

The participation of independent candidates in elections of the National Assembly as a consequence of the signed law, has the following noteworthy implications:

• The amended Act provides for an additional ballot paper in the election of the National Assembly thereby offering voters a non-binary choice of either a party or independent.

The effect of this is that the regional and compensatory ballots are separate (two ballots instead of a single ballot as was previously the case).

The regional ballot for the National Assembly includes parties and independents. The other (national) ballot contains only parties in order to restore proportionality.

The ballots for the regional seats in the National Assembly will be region-specific in a manner similar to provincial legislature ballots.

• The introduction of the second ballot for the election of the National Assembly, results in an increased number of ballot papers to be printed without the corresponding increase in time lines. Thus the ballot printing window remains an immutable 28 days.
• The number of ballot papers for provincial legislature elections remains unchanged at one ballot per province. These will contain the names of parties and independent candidates.

Voter Registration

Ahead of each election, the Electoral Commission undertakes registration drives to register new voters and to enable already registered voters to inspect and where necessary update their registration details. These drives result in updating of the voters’ roll.

For this purpose, the Electoral Commission announces that it will open its network of approximately 24 000 voting stations over the weekend of 18 and 19 November 2023 to register new voters for the forthcoming elections and to facilitate inspection of the roll.

Voting station based registration represents the most equitable manner of equalising access to the vote.

Additional modalities of registration have also been implemented to facilitate continuous registration.

Those with access to the internet may register, inspect and update their details at any time before the proclamation of the elections by visiting www.elections.org.za.

Voters may also visit the local offices of the Commission in each municipality or take advantage of the various activation campaigns that the Commission will undertake in various areas to register and update their details.

Vote where you are registered

In National and Provincial Elections, voters vote at the voting station where they are registered. However, the Electoral Act had provided for an exception.

This exception was intended to facilitate the continued franchise of persons who unavoidably found themselves outside areas in which they were registered on voting day.

However, over time, this well-meaning provision has been misused in a manner that may imperil proper administration of elections and creates perceptions that some voters are able to vote more times than they are entitled to.

The new framework now provides that those who, for unavoidable reasons, are likely to find themselves outside of their voting station of registration, must give prior notice of their intention to vote at a different voting station.

“The Commission reiterates that with the assent of the Bill certainty has now been created in the planning framework for the 2024 National and Provincial Elections. Our time is short and we cannot afford any delay,” the Commission said.

All electoral stakeholders are asked to start their preparations in order to avoid missing immutable electoral timelines.

Government announced on Wednesday that it has terminated, with immediate effect, the National State of Disaster declared by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) on 9 February 2023.

This comes after a legal challenge to stop the State of Disaster by the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA), which questioned its rationality.

“The State of Disaster was a necessary response to the impact of critical levels of load shedding on the economy and vulnerable sectors such as health and small businesses,” CoGTA said in a statement.

Following the declaration of the State of Disaster in February, government said it adopted wide-ranging regulations.

These regulations, according to the department, set out the responsibilities of the different organs of the State to mitigate the impact of severe load shedding, prevent the escalation of electricity supply constraints, and avert a national emergency.

“These regulations and the underlying actions were put in place in support of the Energy Action Plan (EAP). This was to support an effective and integrated response across all spheres of government,” CoGTA explained.

The department believes that the State of Disaster enabled the State to enhance interventions by the National Energy Crisis Committee (NECC) in terms of the EAP.

The interventions in the EAP aim to fix Eskom and improve the availability of existing supply, enable and accelerate private investment in generation capacity and speed up procurement of new capacity from renewables, gas and battery storage.

The goal is also to unleash businesses and households to invest in rooftop solar and fundamentally transform the electricity sector to achieve long-term energy security.

The newly appointed Minister of Electricity, Dr Kgosientso Ramokgopa, recently undertook oversight visits to power stations and consultations within government, including with Eskom, to identify and resolve electricity supply constraints.

“As a structure that integrates areas of responsibility and resources within government, the NECC provides support to the Minister in the identification and resolution of bottlenecks,” the department said.

Given these developments, the CoGTA Minister Thembisile Nkadimeng has decided to terminate the State of Disaster.

“Following the termination of the State of Disaster, all regulations and directions made in terms of Section 27(2) of the Act, under the declaration of the National State of Disaster to deal with the impact of the severe electricity supply constraint, are repealed with immediate effect.”

Government, through the NECC, has since committed to continuing to engage, cooperate and coordinate its actions to reduce and eradicate load shedding using existing legislation and contingency arrangements.

These include measures already taken to protect critical infrastructure, facilitate emergency energy generation and protect consumers in terms of relevant competition law.

“A range of interventions and support measures introduced by departments, as an accelerated response at the time the State of Disaster was declared, will be sustained in terms of existing legislation.”

Nkadimeng has since expressed her sincere appreciation for the constructive and collaborative way in which stakeholders in civil society have worked with government in a short time to achieve progress in keeping the lights on and enabling the economy and public services to function more productively.

The department said a relevant Gazette would be issued soon.

Legal Aid South Africa (Legal Aid SA) has revised its means test in order to cater to more South Africans who need legal assistance but cannot necessarily afford it.

“The Legal Aid South Africa Means Test, used to determine if applicants qualify for legal aid, has been revised upwards to cater for increases in the Consumer Price Index. This will enable access to legal services to a wider group of people.

“In criminal cases, children continue to automatically qualify for legal aid and do not have to take the Means Test. If it is a civil case, the family of the child will need to take and pass the Means Test,” a Legal Aid SA statement read.

The new thresholds have been implemented and are as follows:

• Applications for legal aid in criminal or civil cases – applicants must earn less than R8 200 per month.
• Applications for legal aid in civil cases where the applicant is a member of a household – applicants must earn less than R9 000 per month.
• If an applicant owns movable assets, they must not be worth more than R151 700.
• If an applicant owns immovable assets, they must not be worth more than R711 700.

“Legal Aid SA looks forward to championing the rights of even more persons to access justice through the provision of independent, accessible and quality legal aid services in criminal and civil legal matters, at no cost,” the statement read.

As part of ensuring that no member of society is left behind in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), KwaZulu-Natal Social Development MEC, Nonhlanhla Khoza, has donated a specialised tool to Zizameleni Action Group, which is based in Pietermaritzburg.

Khoza officially handed over a BrailleNote Touch Plus 32 tablet and notetaker, worth R100 000, to help the organisation to develop the visually impaired people it serves.

“We are very happy that after we had made a commitment to help the organisation with such a tool, we were finally able to deliver.  This is how we are known as the Department of Social Development. We do not make unfulfilled promises because we are committed to servicing disabled people and ensuring that they have equal opportunities to participate in the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” Khoza said.

Khoza said the donation of the BrailleNote Touch Plus 32 is just one way in which government ensures that it is working towards the betterment of life for all.

“We believe that by providing access to innovative technologies, we can empower disabled individuals to lead fulfilling lives and contribute to the development of our province and country. The Department of Social Development is proud to hand over this important donation of a Braille Machine Plus to make a significant change in the lives of the beneficiaries,” the MEC said.

Khoza said the machine will assist members of the organisation who are visually impaired to read and write with ease.

The BrailleNote Touch Plus is an innovative tool that converts text into Braille, allowing visually impaired individuals to read and write using this tactile system.

The device is essential in ensuring that visually impaired individuals have access to information and can communicate effectively.

Khoza also commended Zizameleni Action Group leader, Nelson Ngidi, for his bravery to approach her with the request to buy the machine to benefit over 30 people the organisation serves in the uMgungundlovu District.

She said the department recognises the daily challenges faced by individuals who are visually impaired, and they are committed to ensuring that all individuals in the province, regardless of their abilities, have equal opportunities to lead fulfilling lives.

“The donation of this Braille Machine is just one of the ways in which we are working to make this a reality. We are confident that the tool will help make a positive difference in the lives of its members [and] we encourage other organisations to follow our lead and support the visually impaired community.”

Moreover, Khoza said she handed over the machine in honour of the late Transport and Community Safety MEC, Bheki Ntuli and late Ukhozi FM Current Affairs Anchor, Bongani Mavuso.

“Mavuso had invited us in his show, Ezangempelasonto, with MEC Ntuli and the disability sector during the commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which we also celebrated as National Disability Rights Awareness Day when Zizameleni Action Group made a request for the machine.

“We honour them today [because] the machine is handed over, and we [had] made a commitment to help disabled people together,” the MEC said.

Ngidi expressed his heartfelt appreciation for the department’s gesture.

“We want to thank the MEC for helping us to get this machine. We have tried over the years to get such machines and different people always indicate that they have no money. We are grateful that MEC Khoza became the first person to respond positively to the request and provided us with this high-tech machine to change our lives,” an elated Ngidi said.

Local residents currently housed at the Port St Johns Youth Centre, after severe floods recently damaged private property and public infrastructure in the area, have welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to the area on Tuesday to assess the level of damage caused.

The OR Tambo District Municipality in the Eastern Cape was affected by torrential rainfall over the past week which caused flooding resulting in loss of life, displacement of communities and damage to infrastructure.

Severe weather which the South African Weather Service had issued early warnings on 22 and 23 March, affected communities in Port St Johns, Ingquza Hill, Nyandeni and King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipalities.

Vuyolethu Goleni, a local resident, told SAnews she was happy that the President came to see for himself the conditions they are living under.

“I am confident that our roads are going to be repaired and those people who lost their houses will be assisted,” Goleni said.

Echoing the same sentiments was Israel Solani who told SAnews he was confident that the damaged roads will be repaired soon.

“We need that road to be repaired as it makes it impossible to move freely to the other side as the remaining part is also not safe as it can collapse at any time,” Solani said.

Visiting the flood ravaged areas on Tuesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said government was doing everything in its power to assist all those affected.

The President said government departments were working together to assist flood victims.

“Government is doing everything in its power to restore all the roads damaged by the floods and to ensure that our people have shelter,” President Ramaphosa said.

President Ramaphosa said the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will assist in rebuilding the damaged bridges.

“What happened here affects all of us. As government we are going to ensure that our people get the necessary help they need. We want investors to help us with the building of a Smart City here,” President Ramaphosa said.

The President’s visit began with a welcoming by senior provincial government officials, after which he was briefed about the situation in the area.

From there, the President conducted a walk about to assess damage on the R61 road which links Mthata and Port St Johns which was severely damaged by the floods.

Whilst there, President Ramaphosa also met with SANRAL officials who briefed him on the damage.

According to the officials, the work to repair the road will start soon.

At the Port St John’s Youth Centre, the President assured residents that various government departments are working together to restore the lives of people affected by the floods.

“Our government is taking care of our people by building shelters and ensuring that they have food. Government is gearing into action to assist the affected communities,” President Ramaphosa said.

Government has activated a Special Intergovernmental Committee on Disaster Management to provide support and relief to the affected communities.

Teams comprising national, provincial and local spheres of government have been assessing the damage and providing emergency support in the form of shelter, food, blankets and other essentials.

President Cyril Ramaphosa was accompanied by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Thembi Nkadimeng and Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane to interact with residents and other stakeholders.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) believes that South Africa’s implementation of structural reforms, combined with fiscal consolidation, could help boost private investment, employment and growth.

IMF officials held a series of meetings with South Africa this month as part of their routine economic surveillance function, as prescribed in the IMF’s Articles of Agreement.

The IMF said restoring energy security will require attracting private sector participation in the electricity market and addressing Eskom’s operational and financial deficiencies.

“Similarly, stronger-than-expected private sector participation in the energy sector could improve the growth outlook,” National Treasury said in a statement following the meetings.

The IMF noted that the country’s large external asset position, diversified economy, sophisticated financial system, and flexible exchange rate regime are sources of strength, supported by the Reserve Bank’s pro-active monetary policy, have kept inflation expectations anchored.

“They note that these features provide a favourable base for growth,” Treasury said.

The IMF acknowledged that government has made important headway on domestic revenue mobilisation, removed licensing requirements for embedded power generation and completed the spectrum auction.

In addition, the IMF recognised steps taken to improve third-party access to the country’s ports and freight network.

It also noted the anti-corruption measures that have been announced in response to the judicial recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into allegations of State Capture.

“Nevertheless, [the IMF highlighted] various downside risks to South Africa’s economic outlook, including external risks that could emanate from a deeper and more protracted global slowdown, further weakening of commodity prices and a shift in global investors’ sentiment away from emerging markets.”

“Domestically, they noted downside risks that delay addressing the energy crisis, and Eskom and Transnet’s operational and financial weaknesses, slower-than-expected progress or reversal in reforms and policies. These include fiscal consolidation and increased political uncertainty,” Treasury said.

Greylist

Exiting the greylist, according to the IMF, will require South Africa to continue to implement the agreed Financial Action Task Force (FATF) implementation action plan promptly.

“International experience suggests that the adverse impacts of greylisting increase the longer a country remains on the list.

“Therefore, the mission encourages stakeholders to continue working together to exit the list as quickly as possible and closely monitor the impact of the greylisting on capital flows and the financial system,” the IMF said.

Treasury took note of the main findings from the IMF staff following their consultations.

In addition, it said it is aware of most of the risks to economic growth and is working on mitigating measures to address these, as detailed in the 2023 Budget Review.

The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Sipho Hlomuka, has assured the public, especially those who will be going to work on Monday, 20 March, that their rights to work and commute will be protected during the planned national shutdown.

This follows the announcement by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) that they will be taking to the streets in a planned national shutdown on Monday and have called on all South Africans to participate.

Schools will not be affected by the shutdown, as learners will not be going to school on Monday and Tuesday due to the Human Rights Day holiday, which falls on Tuesday.

“We therefore appeal to all parents to make sure that their children do not participate in the planned protests. As part of our operational plan, we have additional deployment that will be dedicated to this protest action.

“This will augment the existing 18 000 South African Police Service (SAPS) members in the province. Deployments will be made in areas that are perceived to be more fragile and seen as hot spots, including national key points,” Hlomuka said during a media briefing in Durban.

As of Friday, all teams and deployments from all districts will be activated and have been placed on high alert.

“We have also activated the Provincial Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (ProvJoints). This structure comprises all government departments, including the SAPS and the South African Defence Force. Equally, our intelligence operatives have been activated in all districts for early warning systems and for proactive interventions.

“Through the ProvJoints, we will be monitoring developments every minute and hour of the day until the protesters disengage. We will use the lessons from previous experiences to make sure that our citizens are safe,” the MEC said.

He said normal policing will continue at police stations, as members of the public will be serviced as usual.

As part of the deployment, members of the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI), Public Transport Enforcement Services (PTES), eThekwini Metro and other municipal traffic officials will be managing all strategic points.

“Police management have also convened a meeting with Business Against Crime to engage them on increasing vigilance and security around their premises. This means the private security will be part of the machinery that will be monitoring the situation on the ground.

“The Department of Community Safety and Liaison will also be adding 1 400 volunteers in all districts to assist in monitoring the situation and feed the information to the police. Community Policing Forums and other community safety structures will be actively involved on the ground,” the MEC said.

Government will also be deploying resources such as helicopters, vehicles, inyalas, water cannons, and technology as part of monitoring the planned protests and securing the people.

Public order police will also be deployed in all districts, as they are trained in crowd management and control.

Public sector wage strike

Meanwhile, the provincial Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster has welcomed the decision by labour unions to suspend the public sector strike.

“This is important because as the province, we did experience some disruptions. This mostly affected hospitals and other critical sectors, including government buildings.

“This planned protest [on 20 March] will have no effect on the public service operations. Members of the public must be assured that they will receive maximum service, this includes licensing offices and social services offices.

“On the same note, we wish to commend the leadership of the unions for suspending their strike. This is progressive,” Hlomuka said.

The MEC appealed to members of the public to refrain from circulating unverified information on social media, as it causes unwarranted panic.

“We urge people to use social media responsibly during times like this. Stop circulating old videos. We also want to caution against the spreading of messages of fear, intimidation or inflammatory statements that could incite violence. This is a criminal offence.

“Law enforcement will not tolerate any lawlessness and any form of criminality. Therefore, it is important to note that anyone found contravening the law will be dealt with accordingly within the prescripts of the law,” he said.

Crime fighting efforts

The MEC said the planned protest on Monday will not disrupt the province’s crime fighting efforts.

“Strides are being made every day to stabilise the province and fight key categories of crime. As the JCPS cluster, we have a clear programme focusing on murder, illegal firearms, drugs and gender-based violence.

“Yesterday [Thursday] police made a breakthrough in Cato Manner when they arrested heavily armed criminals, who are believed to have been on their way to kill a businessman. Police proactively intercepted and recovered two AK 47s and stolen vehicles,” Hlomuka said.

During the month of February, more than 8 857 suspects were arrested for various crimes.

Of these, 152 were for murder and 150 for attempted murder. Police also recovered 309 firearms and 4 747 live ammunition.

“Ninety-two people were arrested for driving under the influence alcohol.  One-hundred-and-fifty-seven kilograms of various drugs were seized. As we intensify the fight against GBV, more than 157 arrests were made in crimes committed against women and children.

“This work will continue and we must applaud the efforts led by the police and all other law enforcement agencies,” the MEC said.

The Ministry of Defence and Military Veterans confirmed over the weekend that Irene Mpolweni, the department’s Director-General, has been placed on precautionary suspension.

However, the Ministry said it was not in a position to disclose the nature of the allegations or charges at this stage, as it must respect employer-employee confidentiality.

“We will pronounce once the entire disciplinary process has ran its course.

“However, we wish to place on record that this suspension does not necessarily presume guilt on her part. It is intended to allow the employer to gather evidence and establish facts.”

The department said an acting Director-General will be appointed in due course.

Plans are underway to introduce new and improved government-subsidised homes with enhanced features, including rooftop solar panels and bugler proofing.

The houses will have water and sanitation systems that respond to water shortages affecting the country.

There is also a discussion that the size of a BNG [Breaking New Ground] house needs to be reviewed, from 40 square meters to 45 square meters.

These were some of the key items discussed at a meeting recently convened in Durban by the Minister of Human Settlements, Mmamoloko Kubayi, together with Deputy Minister, Pam Tshwete. Members of the Executive Committees [MECs], Mayoral Committees responsible for Human Settlements, as well as representatives of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) who were among those at the meeting.

“The revised specifications of a fully subsidised government house are aimed at improving the quality of household life, while contributing to the economy,” said the Department of Human Settlements in a statement.

In his State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa pronounced that government was forging ahead with the rollout of solar panels to address load shedding.

It is therefore expected that the new elements, such as solar panels, for BNG houses will result in economic opportunities, job creation and skills transfer – particularly, for youth, women, people with disabilities and military veterans.

To this end, the MINMEC [Ministers and Members of Executive Council] has directed officials to work with all affected structures, including the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), to finalise specifications, including detailed financial implications of the proposed changes. This will enable the implementation of improved housing units as soon as possible.

MINMEC also received progress reports on grants performance for the third quarter of the current financial year and considered the overall performance of the sector, with a commitment to urgently make the necessary interventions that would ensure all targets are met on time.

This includes a focus on “missing middle” interventions to enable affordable first-time home ownership, alongside emergency housing interventions for affected provinces such as KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Western Cape, North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo.

Prior to the MINMEC meeting, the Minister and the MECs visited several sites that are being used to accommodate flood victims.

They were informed that KwaZulu-Natal has assisted all 2022 flood victims through the construction of 1 755 temporary housing units, and the implementation of the Rental Assistance Scheme and Transitional Emergency Housing.

The province is also working on a permanent housing solution for the affected victims.

The housing project to accommodate flood victims is expected to commence in June 2023.

“Since last year, we have learned many lessons and we are seeing progress. We have accommodated affected households from dehumanising halls to better accommodation facilities. Families now enjoy privacy. We have since started focusing on long-term interventions,” said Kubayi.

She emphasised the importance of all spheres of government and all affected stakeholders working as a team to accelerate the delivery of sustainable human settlements.

She raised concerns about the resources that are often diverted to provide security, as opposed to building houses.

“I want to appeal to communities to understand that these projects belong to them and are meant to respond to their housing needs. Invasion of projects and stopping them does not help.

“This delays progress and ultimately prolongs the time of people living in temporary shelters to occupy the houses,” said Kubayi.