Cape Town estate agent fined for discrimination
The Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA) has fined an estate agent R25 000 for discriminating against a black tenant.
Pol Osei in 2021 approached Gabriella Johnson, who worked for Tyson Properties at the time, about viewing an apartment in the Cape Town Foreshore.
Fin24 reports that she indicated that the property was still available, but that the client was ‘race specific’.
He pointed out that racial discrimination is unconstitutional, but claims Johnson responded that it's not illegal and landlords can choose their tenants.
The PPRA charged Johnson with breaching a regulation of its code of conduct, which states that ‘an estate agent shall not deny equal services to any person for reasons of race, creed, sex, or country of national origin’.
The PPRA is allowed in terms of legislation to sanction an estate agent if he or she is found guilty of contravening the provision of the code of conduct.
A hearing took place in December, and the fine was handed down last month.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
