Answers to your questions

Have a question you would like answered? Email us and we may answer it. The questions here are based on ones from our readers, with identifying information removed.

Please note: GroundUp is just a news agency. We are not lawyers or financial advisors, and we have nothing to do with SASSA, Home Affairs, or any other government bodies. We do our best to make the answers accurate using publicly available information, but we cannot accept any legal liability if there are errors. If you notice any discrepancies, please email info@groundup.org.za.

My half-brother applied for an authority letter to claim our late father’s inheritance but excluded my sister and I. How can we be included to get our share?

If your father died without a will, all four children are equal heirs and should have had a say in who got the letter of authority. You can write to the Master of the High Court over your concerns.

Inheritance

How long after a car accident can the family of a deceased claim from the RAF?

A hit-and-run accident has to be reported within two years to the RAF. The claim itself must be finalised within five years.

Road Accident Fund

I’m a trans person living in a small town in the WC and have struggled to access hormonal replacement therapy. Where can I go for help?

You can ask your GP to refer you to Groote Schuur Hospital's Transgender Unit or contact the Desmond Tutu LGBT+ Health Division at the hospital.

LGBTI Withdrawal of US aid

I was injured on duty in June 2021 and my employer did not file a compensation claim. What can I do?

Your employer was supposed to report your injury, but since they didn’t, you should go to the Department of Labour with all your documents to see if you can still get help.

Labour

Am I entitled to my late father’s RDP house if I was listed as the only dependent, even though he had other children?

If your father died without a will, all his surviving children, including your half-siblings, are legally entitled to inherit the house equally under the Intestate Succession Act.

Inheritance

What can I do if my husband was killed while working and his employer refuses to cooperate with the compensation process?

The employer is breaking the law, and you have the right to report them and file a claim directly with the Compensation Commissioner to access the death benefits, for yourself and your children.

Labour

Can I apply for a print of my sister’s birth certificate using my ID?

Yes you can. Home Affairs will recognise that you have a right to represent your sister in the absence of any parent or guardian.

Home Affairs

Can the only surviving adult child evict the grandchildren from their late grandmother’s house if there is no will?

No, they cannot evict their deceased mother’s grandchildren from her house. Your uncle is entitled to a share of the home as is the dependents of his deceased sibling's children.

Housing Inheritance

I've been unemployed since 2022 and submitted my UIF claim multiple times and got confirmation SMS's but received no payment. Please help.

You should lay a complaint against the UIF at the Department of Employment and Labour.

Labour Unemployment

How can I check the status of my father's RDP application if he applied with a Dompas? Using his ID number does not work.

You need an ID to apply for an RDP house, so I'm not sure how it would work with a Dompas. He should go to the municipality with his ID and ask for help.

Housing