NHBRC dispatches inspectors to storm-hit Protea Glen

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

The National Home Builders’ Registration Council (NHBRC) is conducting an assessment of the state of houses in Protea Glen, Soweto, following the devastating storm last week.

On Saturday, a storm ripped through houses in several parts of Johannesburg, leaving two brothers dead.

Residents in Protea Glen were left reeling as their homes lost their roofs and collapsed during the storm.

Speaking on-site in Protea Glen on Tuesday, the acting CEO of the NHBRC, Shafeeq Abrahams, said the council has dispatched a team consisting of engineering and home inspectors, who will assess the damage and inform the way forward to assist in the restoration of people’s homes.

“As part of establishing all the facts, these assessments will focus on a number of issues including the types and quality of building materials used to construct these homes, home builders/developers registration status, as well as adherence to our own inspection processes.  

“Should we discover any wrongdoing from our employees and homebuilders, we will not hesitate to take appropriate remedial action and bring those in the wrong to account,” said Abrahams.

The team will present a report by the end of the week.

Abrahams, who also conveyed condolences to the families that lost their loved ones, said the NHBRC will be working closely with all relevant spheres of government and affected communities in order to find collective solutions to alleviate the situation.

The NHBRC is an agency of the Department of Human Settlements responsible for the protection of housing consumers and the regulation of the home building industry.

In order to ensure consumers are protected, the NHBRC manages a Warranty Fund, which covers any defects identified within the first five years of completion of new homes.

The Warranty Fund, however, does not cover natural disasters. Housing consumers contribute to the fund through the enrolment fee payable by the NHBRC when registering their homes prior to construction.

Abrahams called on affected homeowners to lodge complaints with the NHBRC by downloading the forms from the website www.nhbrc.org.za or by calling 0800 200 824 or 011 317 0440 for assistance.

As an added measure, the council has also dispatched a mobile office to the Protea Glen area in order to bring the service closer to the affected community. - SAnews.gov.za