Latest news with #ThembiSimelane
IOL News
2 days ago
- General
- IOL News
Mthatha floods victims will be resettled on new land, says Cogta
The flooding in the Eastern Cape has led to a tragic loss of lives. Image: Gift of the Givers SUITABLE land will be identified and allocated to the victims of the devastating Eastern Cape floods to enable long-term, dignified housing solutions. This, according to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) in the Eastern Cape, was the assurance Minister of Human Settlements, Thembi Simelane made to the victims during her oversight visit to two severely impacted informal settlements, Skiet and Eugene, to engage with residents and evaluate urgent housing and support needs. Some of the residents had settled close to the Mthatha Dam, which is suspected to have been flooded during the recent heavy rains. The floods claimed the lives of nearly 100 people and displaced more than 2000. "As a key role player in disaster coordination, CoGTA continues to collaborate with all spheres of government to ensure that emergency relief reaches affected families," Cogta said. The government has come under sharp criticism from residents for how it responded to the disaster, with reports that people were trapped in flooded houses for hours with no emergency crews in sight. The South African Defence Force (SANDF) have also been lamented for delays in deploying resources like its Oryx helicopter to assist with flood relief. IOL reported that the alleged absence of Flight Engineers (FEs) had significantly hampered the SANDF's ability to operate vital aircraft during recent floods in Mthatha, as heavy rains and snow battered the Eastern Cape. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ The SANDF did not respond to questions around the issue on Wednesday. While not commenting on behalf of the government, UDM leader Bantu Holomisa, who is also Defence deputy minister said when president Cyril Ramaphosa visited the area, he had called for the tragedy to be declared a national state of disaster noting the 'scale of the destruction in Mthatha and surrounding areas is immense. Roads, bridges, schools, and critical infrastructure have been washed away. Entire communities are cut off from emergency services, and the humanitarian need is growing by the hour'. Holomisa said he was concerned as after Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, visited the area he had not seen the necessity in making the declaration. 'I don't want to point fingers but almost 90 people have died, it's totally out of control'. Disaster management expert, Dingaan Mahlangu from Ncuma risk management said the recent events highlighted the urgent need for 'improved disaster preparedness and rapid response mechanisms in South Africa', especially in light of increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. 'We must move from reactive to proactive disaster management if we are to save lives and build resilience in vulnerable regions. Flood disasters are (becoming) increasingly common in our changing climate. With proper planning, community engagement, and inter-agency collaboration, their impact can be significantly reduced,' he said. Cape Times
News24
2 days ago
- 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.
IOL News
3 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Why young South Africans struggle to understand property investment
Many young people in South Africa are excluded from traditional lending due to low or irregular incomes, lack of credit history, or student debt. Image: File: African News Agency (ANA) Many young people do not understand the mechanics of buying or investing in property, or how to plan financially for long-term ownership. Asked by Independent Media Property what could be done to put the country's young people in better stead,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". He 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.' Video Player is loading. 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Next Stay Close ✕ Last week, Siviwe Gwarube, the Minister of Basic Education delivered the keynote address at the Inaugural Policy Dialogue on Entrepreneurship Education. The event was hosted in partnership with the European Union's Education for Employability Sector Budget Support Programme. It aims to address South Africa's youth unemployment crisis through an education that empowers learners to be job seekers and job creators. In her address, Gwarube reflected on the growing urgency to equip South African learners not only with academic knowledge, but with the skills, mindset, and agency required to navigate a fast-changing and uncertain world. She will speak to the Department's broader Three-Streams Curriculum Model, the development of a national entrepreneurship education policy, and the strategic imperative to address South Africa's high youth unemployment through inclusive, innovative education pathways. This high-level dialogue aimed to ignite a cross-sector conversation on embedding entrepreneurship education into the basic education system. According to the recent Lightstone data, the youth accounted for roughly 25% of total home applications in South Africa during the first half of 2025. This was a slight decline from the previous years which is attributable to economic pressures and strict lending criteria. Machike 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. Meanwhile, during the important period of heightened focus on the youth and youthfulness, and particularly as the growing trend of excessive spending, online gambling, and impulsive borrowing threatens to damage the financial futures of South Africa's youth, the National Credit Regulator (NCR) urged young consumers to exercise caution and financial responsibility. With the increasing popularity of the 'soft life' culture, epitomised by a lifestyle of luxury, designer brands, and instant gratification, many young people find themselves living beyond their means, said Lynette de Beer, Interim Chief Executive Officer at the NCR. She further added that this lifestyle, often glamourised on social media, is pushing South African youth into taking on unnecessary debt to keep up appearances or fund risky behaviours like gambling, sport betting and even forex. De Beer said impulsive debt almost always ends in long-term financial regret. She said what may seem like small loans or quick online bets can quickly spiral into a bad credit profile, reduce employment opportunities but also limit future credit access. For instance, securing a job that requires vehicle ownership becomes impossible with a bad credit score, she emphasised.
IOL News
4 days ago
- Climate
- IOL News
Thembi Simelane to visit Eastern Cape after deadly storm claims 90 lives
Officials with a body retrieved from a dam in the Eastern Cape Image: Gift of the Givers Minister of Human Settlements, Thembi Simelane, is expected to embark on a three-day visit to storm-stricken Eastern Cape, as the death toll from last week's deadly rains has climbed to 90. The department said nearly 3,000 households have been affected, with over 1,000 homes or structures destroyed and more than 600 partially destroyed. Provincial Department of Health confirmed that post-mortems have been completed on more than 80 bodies, with families having positively identified their loved ones. Premier Oscar Mabuyane further announced that Mthatha, the area hardest hit, has been declared a disaster area. President Cyril Ramaphosa with senior officials and the Gift of the Givers during an oversight visit in the EC Image: GCIS Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Simelane is set to meet with provincial and municipal leadership to decide on the next course of action to assist flood victims. Last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa conducted an inspection on loco at the Efata Bridge in Mthata where a bus scholar transport was tragically swept away due to the flooding. Ramaphosa has expressed his sadness at the loss of lives and conveyed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, affected communities and Eastern Cape residents at large. IOL
The Herald
27-05-2025
- General
- The Herald
‘Finish what we started': Simelane urges provinces to complete upgrades to informal settlements
Human settlements minister Thembi Simelane has urged all provinces to prioritise housing projects that have not been completed. Simelane made the remarks after six family members died when their shack caught fire in Marikana Informal settlement in Kwa-Thema, east of Johannesburg. She said the department has been inundated after several disasters over the past few weeks, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. 'The unfortunate incidents in our informal settlements are a clear sign that we should accelerate and invest in the upgrading of informal settlements and commit to finishing all the stalled projects around the country. This will enable qualifying beneficiaries to have access to decent shelter, prevent loss of life and improve the quality of household life', said Simelane. She said the department plans to upgrade just over 4,000 informal settlements during the course of the 2024-29 Medium Term Development Plan. Simelane underscored the importance of collaboration among all stakeholders in dealing with informal settlements around the country. This includes the government, the private sector, NGOs and communities. In response to the incident in Ekurhuleni, Simelane has tasked the Emergency Housing Unit, a team responsible for disasters within the department of human settlements, to work with the Gauteng department of human settlements and the City of Ekurhuleni to assist the affected household. TimesLIVE
