LOCAL
Worcester residents have called on government to grant better protection to backyard dwellers. This was among the calls raised during public engagement around the Housing Consumer Protection Bill in the Cape Winelands recently.
Some of the challenges that the Bill seeks to address include inadequate inspection, poorly built houses which put home owners under risk of structural defects and builders who are not registered with the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC).
“Residents argued that the Bill must offer protection also to those who live in backyard structures. The Bill seeks to repeal the Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act of 1998, by regulating the registration of builders and protecting housing consumers,” explained chairperson of the portfolio committee on Human Settlements, Machwene Semenyam, in a statement.
The bill received support from Stellenbosch, De Doorns and Worcester participants. Residents however argued that provincial and the national departments of human settlements are not doing enough to provide safe housing, citing asbestos and a lack of building and housing inspectors.
“Participants (…) highlighted that the Bill is silent on houses that still have asbestos in their roofs. They told the committee that their local municipalities are not willing to assist them to remove the asbestos from their roofs. They informed the committee that those who stay in houses that are built with asbestos were diagnosed with tuberculosis. Participants (also) called for the National Home Builders Registration Council to provide more inspectors on the ground to check if building regulations are being adhered to during the building phase.”
Hout Bay residents had, on Saturday, also emphasised the vast ineqaulity in their area. They pointed to those living in mansions alongside those living RDP houses without title deeds.
“Participants at Hout Bay requested that local offices of the NHBRC must verify the registration of home builders as it is difficult for home owners to verify builders themselves. Furthermore, they pointed out that local offices of the NHBRC were too far and the regulatory body is not visible in the community,” said Semenyam.
The provinces’ public hearings on the bill draw to a close on Monday, with the final taking place in Pacaltsdorp Community Hall in George at 10am.
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