Pretoria- Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has instructed her department to work with the Human Rights Commission and theEstate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB) to probe racism by estate agents in South Africa.
The Ministry of Human Settlements said the report must be submitted within six months. The Ministry said Minister SIsulu also indicated that Estate Agents who do not offer professional service to all South Africans must not be allowed to operate.
This follows a meeting held on Tuesday by the Ministry, the Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB) leadership and Jawitz Properties franchise owners to discuss concerns from South Africans in relation to racist comments made by Jawitz Properties Agent Penny Sparrow.
The Ministry said it was discovered in the meeting that Penny Sparrow has resigned from Jawitz Properties, and that Jawitz properties is considering legal action against her for bringing their company into disrepute, including civil action.
EAAB also reported that Penny Sparrow’s licence to operate as an Estate Agent has expired on 31 December 2015.
“She is required to submit a new application for renewal of her licence,” the Ministry said.
Minister Sisulu said racist agents like Sparrow "who have no respect for the constitution and laws of the country must not be allowed to serve South Africans."
"You cannot be an Estate Agent by day and in the evening you are posting racists comments and behaving in an unlawful and offensive way, our regulations and code of conduct must provide instruments for people like Penny Sparrow not to operate as Estate Agents.
“The EAAB must make sure, if it is not there in current regulations, those regulations must be amended to ensure that we root out racism in the sector, it is our responsibility as government,” said Minister Sisulu.
The Ministry said the meeting also noted a number of comments and reports of other cases of racist behaviour by estate agents posted on social media and in the mass media.
The Ministry said details of the enquiry secretariat and its operations will be advertised in the mass media in the coming weeks.-SAnews.gov.za
