On 26 October 2023, SERI collaborated with CAOSA to conduct a day-long Women's Spaces workshop at Mandelaville Crisis Centre in Roodepoort. The workshop aimed to educate participants on issues concerning succession and inheritance of estates/properties. Additionally, it provided insights into the significance of creating Wills and the process of making one. Furthermore, attendees were guided through the qualification requirements and application procedures for RDP houses. Approximately 39 participants, mostly women, attended the workshop.
Throughout the day, various sessions covered topics such as the different succession rules under the Intestate Succession Act 81 of 1987, the Wills Act, and an introduction to matrimonial property systems applicable in South Africa. Another session focused on the processes, criteria, and applications for RDP houses in urban areas.
Despite the clarity of laws governing estate/property succession, the majority of South Africans remain unfamiliar with the rules that dictate the dis
tribution of their property after death. Lack of knowledge about succession and inheritance not only contributes to family disputes but also poses a threat to an individual's secure tenure. For many women, these threats to tenure security are heightened due to gender biases, making them vulnerable to eviction from external sources and even from within their households.
This workshop forms part of the Women’s Spaces project at SERI which focuses on women’s rights to land and housing in sub-Saharan Africa. The project is supported by Rooftops Canada.
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