14/10/2025
RINNIE BENADE ROUX INC. - RESPONSE RECKLESS REPORTING IN CITY PRESS
We are a longstanding firm of attorneys and conveyancers dedicated to serving the Klerksdorp community since 1995, and today we wish to address the inaccurate and reckless allegations in a recent City Press article published on October 11, 2025, titled "Matlosana officials and law firm allegedly pocket R12m meant for low-income housing subsidy." The firm assures its clients, colleagues, and the public that the claims are baseless, arising from the journalist's fundamental lack of knowledge about South Africa's Individual Housing Subsidy Programme and a clear failure to exercise due diligence in reporting.
The article's core narrative demonstrates a profound misunderstanding of the programme's operations, as governed by the Housing Act and the National Housing Code. This initiative assists low-income households in acquiring homes, but subsidies are not disbursed as direct cash payments to beneficiaries. Instead, they serve as grants paid to appointed conveyancers to facilitate property transfers, covering essential costs like purchase prices to sellers (such as municipalities), agent commissions, legal fees for title deed registrations, and contractor expenses for renovations in instances where the properties is bought from a Municipality. Beneficiaries gain ownership through registered title deeds, not monetary handouts—a structure that prevents any form of double enrichment, where individuals might receive both cash and property. However, the article repeatedly assumes subsidies should be "transferred" or "disbursed" directly to beneficiaries, questioning why they "never received the funds" or were told the money "bought their houses." This framing ignores the programme's design, where funds secure title deeds and address property needs, not personal payouts. The portrayal of a "paper trail" as evidence of impropriety further misinterprets standard procedures, such as invoices for municipal payments, which are routine for auditable records rather than signs of fabrication. Had the journalist conducted basic research into official guidelines or consulted programme experts, these misconceptions could have been avoided.
Compounding this lack of knowledge is an evident failure in due diligence, as required by journalistic standards like the South African Press Code. The pre-publication queries were addressed to a deceased individual who passed away years ago, despite easily accessible public information on the firm's active directors through sources like the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), our website, or legal directories. This oversight led to ineffective communication and missed opportunities for accurate input. Additionally, the queries were sent with an unreasonably short deadline—less than two business days—for responding to complex allegations involving detailed records and explanations, absent any apparent urgency given the events dated back more than a year. The article relied heavily on unverified "insider" claims without corroboration, such as interpreting legitimate transactions as suspicious, and failed to balance perspectives by downplaying official denials of irregularities. We can confirm that we did not receive payment in the amount of R12 545 472. No evidence of complaints from beneficiaries, the municipality, or the Department of Human Settlements was presented, yet the piece advanced a sensational narrative that contradicts established processes.
To date, there have been no such complaints against our firm, underscoring our unwavering compliance with legal and fiduciary obligations. We have successfully facilitated numerous subsidy approvals under this programme, ensuring beneficiaries receive secure property ownership through transparent registrations.
We are committed to maintaining the trust our community has placed in us for over two decades. This irresponsible reporting, marked by avoidable errors and haste, does not reflect the reality of our ethical practices. We assure our clients and colleagues that our operations remain fully transparent and uninterrupted."
Through our legal representatives we have initiated immediate steps to demand a full retraction and apology from City Press. Should this not resolve the matter, we will pursue a claim for damages to rectify the unwarranted harm to our reputation.
Rinnie Benade Roux Inc. invites anyone with questions to contact us directly for factual clarification. We remain focused on delivering reliable conveyancing services to support the Klerksdorp community.
Rinnie Benade Roux Inc.
