▶️ The post Khanya College’s Mass Advice Day Brings Hope for Diepkloof Community appeared first on Karibu – A Working Class News.
BY Viwe Mazwana
On 22 August 2024, Khanya College held its Mass Advice Day (MAD) at Rena Le Rena in Diepkloof, Soweto. The event aimed at providing free legal advice directly to working class communities. Even after 30 years of democracy, South Africa still struggles with massive levels of unemployment, poverty, and inequality. MAD was established by Khanya College to help address these issues and make legal advice accessible to those who need it.
During the most recent event, MAD was aimed at providing general legal advice on diverse issues, including housing problems, labour-related, children’s access to schools, obtaining birth certificates, access to healthcare, asylum, and refugee status challenges. It also prepared advice on how to access the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) grants of R370 for the unemployed. The event also provided information on other available grants for different categories of people.
At the event, there were many different organisations and government departments, including Legal Aid, the Department of Housing, SASSA, Lawyers for Human Rights, the Department of Home Affairs, and the Casual Workers Advice Office. All the legal advice provided on the day was free, ensuring that everyone who attended MAD benefited from the professionals available.
The event was a great success, with more than 200 community members from Diepkloof and surrounding areas showing up to use the available services.
People of all ages arrived with different issues and questions. Some wanted help with birth certificate problems, others needed advice on housing matters, and many had questions about SASSA Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grants. There were also inquiries about inheritance matters and disputes related to customary marriages.
An attending official Kevin Simelane from the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements gave a public presentation about the current housing issues and concerns in the area. He mentioned that the government is building a limited number of Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) houses, which can only be given to a small number of people. For example, in the entire southern Johannesburg area only 500 houses are built each year while about 350,000 people have applied for RDP houses in the whole of the south including Soweto.
Simelane also highlighted that there is a priority list for housing, where people with disabilities, elderly pensioners, child-headed households and military veterans are given houses first. Another problem is the lack of land to build these houses on said the representative, something which Adv. Tembeka Ngcukaitobi recently disputed. The government says it must buy private land before building starts, also saying land is scarce.
The official also said that many people face challenges once they receive RDP houses, such as money for water services and electricity. Some people struggle to pay for services. As a result, many people end up moving back to shacks, renting out their RDP houses to gain money for their livelihoods. He suggested that the government and the people should work together and talk to find solutions to these issues. For example, the government could develop the areas around RDP houses so that people don’t have to spend much on transport to buy essentials. He also added that there should be support for those without income, so they access services like water and electricity to reduce the number of people moving back to their shacks after being allocated RDP houses.
He also encouraged those who have already received confirmation letters, to go to the provincial Department of Human Settlements to finalise their house allocations instead of waiting for the government to contact them. The official acknowledged that the government is struggling to solve the problems surrounding RDP housing as there are a lot of people are applying.
Despite the overall success of the day, there was one big disappointment. More than half of the people who attended needed help from the Department of Home Affairs. Unfortunately, as has become all too common, Home Affairs did not honour their invitation to the event despite confirming they would attend. This failure to attend was a major letdown for many in the community who had hoped to resolve their issues without having to travel to a Home Affairs office.
The Department of Home Affairs has continued to neglect servicing poor communities during MAD. It seems that this department has normalised poor service delivery to this demographic, making them suffer endless frustration.
One community member, who waited for three hours to inquire about her son’s birth certificate, emphasised her anger and disappointment. “We need new leaders who are going to clean up this department, we need serious workers who will serve the people with purpose and take our issues seriously,” she said.
Her frustration was shared by many others who experienced similar treatment at Home Affairs offices across the country.
“Even at their offices in Maponya, people often spend the entire day waiting in line, only to be sent from one counter [post] to another without any clear communication about their issues,” said Lindiwe Khumalo, who left the event angry. This poor service delivery has left many feeling abandoned by the department.
Another attendee, Nosizwe Mzangwa (not her real name), shared her heartbreaking story. She came to the event hoping to consult with Home Affairs about obtaining her late husband’s death certificate. Although she was married to him customarily, she never signed any documents at Home Affairs.
Mzangwa’s in-laws are fighting her for his belongings, she is disadvantaged as she has no legal proof of her marriage to him. Mzangwa was deeply hurt by Home Affairs’ failure to attend the event, especially since they had initially confirmed their attendance.
“We have serious issues in the community, and services like MAD bring back hope to people who have already lost hope,” she said, before continuing, “It’s disappointing how the government undermines us.”
The absence of Home Affairs at MAD was not just a logistical issue, it was a symptom of a deeper problem in South Africa’s service delivery system, where government officials undermine people by agreeing to be part of a programme but later disappear without an apology. The government’s repeated failure to address the needs of poor communities shows a lack of commitment to the same people it claims to represent. Events like MAD are important in extending services.
Khanya College’s Mass Advice Day helps provided an otherwise expensive service, for free. After the briefing and help, many members are not in a better position about the different issues they face. The absence of a most important Department in our country is a serious reminder of the challenges that inequality still exists. For many people in Diepkloof, MAD was a day of great help but also frustration.
It also showed the importance of accessible legal advice and the ongoing struggle for service delivery.
As people and communities grapple with social and economic challenges, it is clear that much needs to be done to support working class communities. Events like MAD are a big step in the right direction, but they must be backed by government departments that are truly committed to serving all its citizens. The voices of those who attended MAD are a powerful reminder that change is needed, and it is needed now.
