Karen Harverson
A ROW within the ranks of the black construction industry may damage its initiative to fund a developmental programme for emerging black contractors.
The programme is aimed at helping black contractors acquire the skills necessary to participate in the mainstream construction industry.
All contractors wishing to be part of the home building industry must register with the National Home Builders Registration Council and meet its criteria or they will not be eligible to build houses in South Africa.
In addition, the banks will not provide loans to home buyers if the contractor building their house has not registered. The Council is a monitoring body to protect homebuyers in the event of a registered contractor defaulting on specified parts of a contract.
It was given the support of the black construction industry with the caveat that a developmental programme be carried out simultaneously with the registration of
The four bodies representing the black construction industry, the National Black Contractors & Allied Trades Forum (Nabcat), the African Builders Association (ABA), the National African Federation for the Building Industry (Nafbi) and the South African Black Technical and Allied Careers Organisation (Sabtaco), banded together to form a forum known as the Black Construction Industry (BCI) to spearhead this developmental programme.
Nabcat has recently withdrawn from the BCI, claiming that BCI’s secretariat, the South African Black Contractors Assistance Programme (Sabcap) was not following its mandate — to develop the skills of black contractors to enable them to register with the Council.
“The secretariat is looking at the developmental compact in broad terms rather than the immediate training that is needed and we are concerned because there is a deadline (February 1996) by when contractors must register with the Council in order to participate in the housing market,”says Nabcat secretary general Douglas Setuke.
Although Setuke says Nabcat supports the Council, it is planning to develop its members separately from the BCI’s programme to ensure they are part of the registration process.
But this action may have negative effects on the industry. “Nabcat’s withdrawal may split the black construction industry and there are many issues which this industry has to face and lobby government and can only do so effectively with a unified voice,”says Council chairman Mike Mohohlo.
Another important issue is funding. Funders such as banks, government and private sector prefer to channel funds to a unified body rather than deal with multiple organisations applying for funds to achieve the same
Mohohlo is deeply concerned about Nabcat’s withdrawal and urges them to return to the fold. He believes the BCI is well advanced in setting up programmes and liaising with the various government departments.
About R2-million is needed to facilitate the programme and is being raised by Sabcap through the banks, government and the private
Director General of the Department of Housing William Cobbett says while he regrets Nabcat’s withdrawal, the department will continue to liaise with the BCI in terms of funding. “The key issue facing the industry is unification and Nabcat’s withdrawal does nothing to further that process,”he says.
He is adamant that the process being headed by the BCI is well advanced and on track. “The bus is moving and those that jump off, do so at their own peril.”