Parliament, Wednesday, 24 August 2022 – The Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements will this weekend, from 26 to 28 August 2022, hold public hearings on the Housing Consumer Protection Bill in Limpopo to garner public views on the Bill. The hearings are part of nationwide public hearings the committee is conducting, with three sessions scheduled in each province.
Public consultation and participation is a constitutional requirement that Parliament is obliged to undertake as part of its decision-making processes. “These hearings are in line with Section 59 (1) of the Constitution, which urges for the public involvement in the legislative making process of the Assembly. Also, 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,” said Ms Machwene Semenya, the Chairperson of the committee.
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 exposes consumers to unmitigated risk. At the centre of the Bill is the intention to regulate and streamline processes to ensure consumer protection within the home-building environment. Through this Bill, it is hoped 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 continuance of the home warranty fund, and a framework to claim against the fund, as well as the continuance of the National Home Builders Registration Council as the National Home Building Regulatory Council. The Bill’s main intention is to broadly protect consumers and ensure that they are able to access warranty cover should they need it.
Another important pillar of the Bill is its transformative outlook, which seeks to capacitate builders, thereby improving the general environment for consumers. This protection is proposed through the Bill’s call for proper training for builders, which will enable full economic participation. Furthermore, a database of registered builders and their grading will assist the sector in knowing which builders are available and at what level.
The hearings follow public consultations in four provinces where participants highlighted the importance of the Bill in protecting RDP beneficiaries against unscrupulous constructors who build substandard houses. Many residents also called for the Bill to regulate against the selling of poor-quality building materials, especially in poor communities. There was a view that the proliferation of building warehouses selling poor-quality building materials in townships and rural areas presents a risk to consumers.
The committee invites all individuals and interested organisations to come and make inputs on the Bill, to ensure that the final product is reflective of their will and aspirations.
Details of the hearings (Day 1)
Date: Friday, 26 August 2022
Time: 10:00
Venue: Lulekani Community Hall, Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality
Details of the hearings (Day 2)
Date: Saturday, 27 August 2022
Time: 10:00
Venue: Venue to be confirmed, Polokwane Local Municipality
Details of the hearings (Day 3)
Date: Sunday, 28 August 2022
Time: 10:00
Venue: Tafelkop Farmers Community Hall, Groblersdal.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SETTLEMENTS. MS MACHWENE SEMENYA.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Malatswa Molepo (Mr)
Parliamentary Communication Services
Tel: 021 403 8438
Cell: 081 512 7920
E-mail: mmolepo@parliament.gov.za
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