NDWEDWE - President Cyril Ramaphosa says the Truth and Reconciliation Commission unlocked a process that remains central to taking South Africa forward.
The President is overseeing the launch of the TRC Housing programme in Ndwedwe, KwaZulu-Natal.
Ndwedwe is a symbolic choice for the launch due to the widespread destruction of homes.
The area is prone to natural disasters.
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Ramaphosa says the Constitution places a clear obligation on the state to take reasonable legislative and other measures, within available resources, to progressively realise everyone’s right of access to adequate housing.
He said as of March 2026, the total number of approved listed beneficiaries in Ndwedwe stands at 220.
"The symbolic cheques that are being handed over today represent R40 million in cumulative assistance being provided to the verified beneficiaries to build a home or improve their existing homes," he said.
Ramaphosa said government remains committed in ensuring that this process provides some justice for communities that are still bearing the cost of what happened in the past.
Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said government’s housing reparations programme is not only about rebuilding homes, but about healing the deep divisions left by apartheid.
She was also speaking at the launch where Ramaphosa was officiating the event.
She explained that the programme targets families whose homes were destroyed during apartheid
“In many instances, entire communities were targeted and wiped out, leaving families homeless simply because they were seen as supporting the struggle for freedom,” she said.