Polokwane hosts public hearings on Housing Consumer Protection Bill

The Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements will be holding a public hearing session on the Housing Consumer Protection Bill in Polokwane on Saturday, in order to garner public views on the Bill.

The hearings in Polokwane will be the second of three hearings in the province that form part of nationwide public hearings which the committee is conducting.

The committee has extended an invite to all individuals and interested organisations to make input on the Bill, to ensure that the final product is reflective of their will and aspirations.

The Chairperson of the portfolio committee, Ms Machwene Semenya, has urged the public to be involved in the legislative making process of the National Assembly, as these hearings are in line with Section 59 (1) of the Constitution.

“We are hopeful that, as the primary beneficiaries of the protections proposed by the Bill, participants will present qualitative inputs aimed at improving the Bill to ensure that it meets daily challenges,” says Semenya.

The Bill’s main intention is to broadly protect consumers and ensure that they are able to access warranty cover should they need it.

At the centre of the Bill is the intention to regulate and streamline processes to ensure consumer protection within the home-building environment. South Africans have faced challenges such as homes built on unsuitable land, inadequate inspection of houses and builders who are not registered nor adequately trained, which has exposed consumers to unmitigated risk.

Through this Bill, it is intended that by appointing registered builders, homeowners will be assured of quality housing and extended protection through the extension of warranty cover.

The Bill proposes these protections through the repeal of the Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act of 1998 by providing protections for housing consumers, the registration of home builders, the continuation of the home warranty fund and a framework to claim against the fund, as well as the continuation of the National Home Builders Registration Council as the National Home Building Regulatory Council.

Another important pillar of the Bill is its transformative outlook, which seeks to capacitate builders, thereby improving a lot of consumers. This particular safeguard is proposed through Bill’s call for proper training for builders, thus enabling full economic participation. Moreover, a database of registered builders including their grading will assist the sector in knowing which builders are available and at what level they are at.

Saturday’s hearings follow public consultations in Phalaborwa at which some participants highlighted the importance of the Bill in protecting RDP beneficiaries against unscrupulous constructors who build substandard houses.

Owners of small businesses also welcomed the Bill for its potential to enable them to participate in bigger projects.

Hearings will be on Saturday 27 August from 10:00 at the new Peter Mokaba Stadium Lounge, in Polokwane, and then at the Tafelkop Farmers Community Hall in Groblersdal on Sunday 28 August from 10:00-14:00.