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.

Can I apply for a child grant if my partner isn't South African?

You can apply for the child support grant if your partner is a refugee or permanent resident.

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Can my landlord change the price I agreed to buy the house for?

If it was a verbal agreement, there is nothing stopping him from changing the price.

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I want to stop using heroin now that I'm pregnant. What detoxification programmes are available in Cape Town?

The DSD has a community-based substance abuse programme. Ante-natal clinics often also have methadone withdrawal programmes.

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Does the disability grant cover mental health issues?

Sometimes, but ultimately it is up to SASSA's discretion

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Should an employer pay their worker during the period before the disability benefit is paid out?

The employer is not obliged to retain an employee who is permanently incapacitated if her working circumstances cannot be adapted.

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Can a wife inherit an RDP house if she was not listed as a beneficiary?

It depends whether or not the deceased left a will

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Can the bank demand twice the monthly repayment of a loan on an over-insured house?

The in duplum rule limits all interest and other payments on debt to double the amount of the original debt.

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How can my friend transfer his Permission to Occupy to my name?

A PTO cannot be transferred because it is not a title deed.

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Can an employer withhold your salary and provident fund if you breach the contract?

An employer can only withhold your salary if they have a court order. They cannot withhold the provident fund.

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Can an abandoned child get a birth certificate?

Yes, but you may need help to get Home Affairs to comply.

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