The Housing Consumer Protection Bill has been approved by the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements, and the National Assembly will now be asked to review it.
The committee went through a lengthy procedure to review the Housing Consumer Protection Bill [B10-2021], which includes public hearings held from 22 April to 6 November 2022 in three districts throughout each of the nine provinces.
Additionally, on November 9, 2022, the committee held virtual public hearings where it heard oral contributions from the Development Action Group and Master Builders South Africa (MBSA) (DAG).
Through the registration of house builders, the bill attempts to safeguard housing customers. Additionally, it outlines the enrollment procedure for homes necessary for home builders to access the Home Warranty Fund.
The National Home Building Regulatory Council (NHBRC), which was formerly known as the National Home Builders Registration Council, is also allowed to continue.
The Bill also addresses contractual and procurement issues related to house construction and addresses how this Act will be enforced.
According to the committee’s head, Machwene Semenya, putting the Bill into law would improve the home-building environment for customers and encourage the construction of high-quality houses throughout the nation.
According to Semenya, the protracted consultation process made clear the necessity for the Bill to address problems with adherence to construction regulations that individuals encounter.
It must be emphasized that the public involvement process brought to light the National Home Builders Registration Council’s urgent need to improve its operations and visibility in order to assure better oversight of the housing market.
“However, in general, we are happy with the finished result. The committee adopted its agenda to study the Bill while taking seriously the constitutional requirement that public engagement be a fundamental component of Parliament’s functioning, according to Semenya.
Semenya said that 894 oral contributions were received by the committee during the public hearings, which were attended by 5 659 members of the public and diverse stakeholders from 27 district municipalities.
“The committee values the contributions made by each person and organization that made a valuable contribution to the Bill. Members of Parliament were given the authority to process this Bill and guarantee that it reflected the experiences of the people via the significant contributions they had received, Semenya said.
Semenya said that while the procedure is done, the public involvement process has highlighted the necessity for concentrated and intense monitoring work on organizations like the NHBRC to make sure they fulfill their purpose and safeguard customers, particularly the poor.
In order to develop practical answers, the committee will also investigate and analyze the widespread use of subpar construction materials in the environment as part of its monitoring duties, according to Semenya.
In addition to recommending that the House approve and pass the Bill, the committee will submit its findings for consideration to the National Assembly.
»National Assembly evaluates Housing Consumer Protection Bill«