Lack of title deeds is ‘insult to dignity’

policy group at the University of Cape Town, said the drafting of the bills had caused some confusion.

Godfrey pointed out the question of dispute and compliance on the right of workers to strike, among others.

The Labour Relations Act allowed workers to strike when employers unilaterally changed conditions of service, but the proposed legislation provided that such disputes were taken up with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).

Jeff Jacobs, of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said their primary concern was the administrative burden for businesses, especially SMMEs with limited resources, when they needed to apply for exemption from the minimum wage.

Jacobs also raised concern about the Department of Labour’s ability to deal with an increased workload.

“It is our view that enforcement and compliance have been a challenge for the department,” he said.

Metalworkers union Numsa wanted a minimum wage of R12 500 a month as a starting point.

The union said an under-resourced CCMA would be overburdened with additional responsibilities when it was already unable to provide a service to workers.

“The Department of Labour fails to enforce minimum pay for domestic and farm workers. It’s unlikely it will be a practice once national minimum wage is introduced,” the union said. THE backlog with respect to the handing out of title deeds for RDP houses was akin to trampling on human dignity, KwaZulu-Natal DA leader Zwakele Mncwango said.

The party yesterday launched the Sisebenzela Wena Title Deeds Campaign aimed at assisting RDP housing beneficiaries to get their title deeds. Although targeted at the whole province, the launch took place at Mount Moriah, north of Durban.

The DA said no household, 18 years after the homes were handed over, had received a title deed in the township comprising 2 500 houses.

Mncwango said the backlog rendered beneficiaries less empowered, with no means to safeguard an inheritance for future generations. The DA said there was a housing backlog of 87 037 homes in the ANC-run eThekwini Municipality alone, citing a 2016 report by the Public Service Accountability Monitor.

“True empowerment starts with owning the house you live in, the land you live in. When you don’t have ownership, you have no dignity. “Some of you have lived here for 18 years, yet you have no ownership. Municipalities must hand over these title deeds,” Mncwango said.

He lambasted the ANC-run municipality for failing to provide the people of eThekwini with “true freedom”.

“You cannot use your house as surety for even a business loan, because where is the proof that you own this house?

“You cannot get insurance on your property because the banks require a title deed,” he said.

eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede said the late issuing of title deeds only affected black people.

“Their dignity is being disrespected and that needs to be restored,” she added.

Gumede maintained that giving beneficiaries land was an ANC programme of action for the total restoration of their dignity.