The Western Cape, and Cape Town in particular, has topped the list in terms of the number of racism complaints submitted to the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority.

The regulatory body, formerly the Estate Agency Affairs Board, will next week hold public hearings into allegations of racism in the sector.

The Citizen reports that the hearings were sparked by a complaint lodged in October last year by potential tenant Pol Osei who was allegedly told by estate agent Gabriella Johnson that her client was ‘race specific’ when it came to whom they would rent to.

In preparation for the hearings, the board has called for submissions of racism complaints, and Mamodupi Mohlala, the regulatory body CEO, said it was clear from the number of submissions that racism in the property sector was rife and under-reported.

Mohlala said the hearings – to take place in Johannesburg on 22 March, followed by hearings in Cape Town and Durban on 23 and 24 March respectively – would help unearth the extent and prevalence of alleged racist practices in the sector.

The public hearings, she said, would further investigate the efficacy of the application of the code of conduct for the industry, and the newly enacted Property Practitioners Act.

On completion of the hearings, the agency will submit a consolidated report with comments from industry players to the Minister of Human Settlements, Mmamoloko Kubayi, with the aim of introducing legislative changes that will address racism in the property sector.

Full report in The Citizen