Council declares amnesty period for building plan fines

KOUGA – The Kouga Council has declared a six-month amnesty period for the payment of fines and penalties related to incomplete or incorrected building plans under the National Building Regulations Act, Act 103 of 1977.

This amnesty also applies to situations where inspection for occupation certificates was not requested.

The amnesty period will run from 1 July 2024 to 31 December 2024, and will apply only to building work that existed or started before this period.

Kouga Executive Mayor, Hattingh Bornman, said the move was prompted by numerous requests from property owners and industry roleplayers to be exempted from fines and penalties for non-compliance with national building regulations. imposed on them for failing to comply with the national building regulations.

“During this period, individuals will have the opportunity to come forward, address any non-compliance issues, and regularise their building status without fear of heavy fines or punitive measures,” said Bornman.

“The non-compliance is not always the fault of the current property owner, hence Council’s resolution to declare an amnesty period. In some instances, previous owners built, extended or altered their properties without building plans having been submitted or approved.”

He noted that various factors contribute to non-compliance, including architects or draftsmen not always returning building plans to the municipality for final approval.

“There are also properties in use without occupation certificates as the final building inspections were never concluded,” he added.

“These fines and penalties will be waived during the amnesty period. However, the normal application approval fees will still apply and be payable.”

Building plans for unauthorised structures submitted through this process will be subject to inspections by the municipality’s building control section. Any structures that do not meet the required standards will not be approved until the necessary corrections are made.

“Each case will be dealt with on merit and the municipality remains the final decision-maker,” said Bornman.

“We believe that this amnesty period will not only benefit individuals seeking to rectify past errors, but also contribute to a safer and more compliant built environment.”

All submissions for exemptions must be put in writing and emailed to the Department: Planning and Development at adminbuildingcontrol@kouga.gov.za, plansexaminers@kogua.gov.za, and inspections@kouga.go.za.

Alternatively, it can be hand-delivered to the department at the municipality’s office in Woltemade Street, Jeffreys Bay.