Jan
11
2023
“We came to the Post Office and they said there was no money”
11 January 2023 | By Marecia Damons
On Friday, Postbank acknowledged that a glitch had prevented many social grant recipients from accessing their January 2023 payments.
Postbank said the issue had been resolved.
But GroundUp visited a Cape Town payment branch on Tuesday and found several beneficiaries had still not...
Jan
10
2023
The short answer
You are supposed to pay UIF contributions until your employee stops working for you.
The whole question
Dear Athalie
In April 2021, my domestic worker applied for a SASSA older person's grant. I then stopped contributing to her UIF because she would not be able to claim the benefits once she started receiving the grant. She kept working and officially retired...
Dec
02
2022
Immigrants are not reporting crimes or seeking assistance from law enforcement as they fear extortion or deportation
2 December 2022 | By Kimberly Mutandiro
Organisations working with immigrants say they have had numerous complaints of police extorting bribes and stealing from African immigrants.
They say undocumented immigrants are too afraid to report such crimes; they are even too afraid to report any crime.
...
Dec
02
2022
The legislation was sent to the president more than two months ago
2 December 2022 | By Chris Gilili
Domestic workers were excluded from claiming for compensation for work injuries until the Constitutional Court ruled in 2020 that a section of the Compensation Act was invalid.
The amendment bill correcting this was sent to the President in September this year but has not...
Dec
01
2022
The short answer
You can call a family meeting or approach an organisation that helps families having marital problems.
The whole question
Dear Athalie
Why does SASSA count your spouse's income when you apply for the disability grant if your spouse doesn't help look after you with that income?
The long answer
As SASSA is a means-tested organisation, declaring your spouse’s income is a legal...
Nov
21
2022
Land Claims Court says the Constitution requires that ESTA be given a “generous interpretation”
21 November 2022 | By Tania Broughton
The Land Claims Court has ruled that removing grazing rights can amount to an eviction.
Courts have previously ruled that grazing is only permitted by consent of the landowner.
The Constitutional Court has said that a “blinkered” approach must be avoided when...
Nov
21
2022
There was no evidence to justify Judge Cassim Sardiwalla’s order, says court
By Tania Broughton
The Supreme Court of Appeal has set aside an order by the Pretoria High Court on the use of ivermectin for Covid patients.
The High Court had made an order compelling the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) to report back to the court every...
Nov
08
2022
The short answer
You can phone their hotline but you will probably have better luck if you get help from a non-government organisation.
The whole question
Dear Athalie
I have been trying to get a birth certificate for my 5-year-old son since 2019 but Home Affairs still hasn't granted me an interview. Every time I go to the office to ask if there...
Oct
24
2022
The municipality may have to forfeit the conditional grant due to underspending
By Daniel Steyn
The Amathole District Municipality (ADM) risks losing a R493-million conditional grant because it has failed to spend the first R100-million portion. The Municipal Infrastructure Grant was allocated to the municipality in July by the National Treasury.
A large section of the Wild Coast runs through the district, including...
Oct
20
2022
After a court battle lasting ten years, the new centre is set to open next year
By Tariro Washinyira
The long-awaited Cape Town Refugee Reception Centre in Epping is finally taking shape, with builders hard at work on the site of the new building.
The office is due to be opened early next year after court battles which have lasted ten...