A FURTHER MANIFESTATION OF RACISM WITHIN THE REAL ESTATE SECTOR

It constitutes a gross understatement to say that the EAAB is appalled at the occurrence of yet another blatant incident of racist behaviour within the estate agency sector.

Elize Sheun, an estate agent in the service of Dick and Sue Home Finders, placed an advertisement on the ‘Private Property’ internet portal explicitly indicating, in respect of the advertised home, “NB - ONLY whites please”. Barrie Davies of ‘Private Property’ has advised no control could be exercised over postings on the site, pointing out that Dick and Sue Home Finders had been removed from the site and warned for their unbecoming behaviour.

Such discriminatory behaviour constitutes a gross violation of both the Bill of Rights as contained in the Constitution as well as the Code of Conduct for Estate Agents. Estate agents may emphatically not deny equal services to any person by reason of race, creed, sex or country of national origin and may not discriminate against any person, whether seller, purchaser, lessor or lessee, of a property or deny estate agency services to any person.

The continued perpetuation of such racist incidents underscores the irrefutable reality that racism and discrimination continue to be practised within the real estate sector. The EAAB is determined to create a non-racial and non-discriminatory property sector based on the constitutional values of human dignity, equality and the advancement of human rights and freedom. 

To do so the EAAB will: 

• entrench a culture of human rights through the active protection of human rights to estate agents and consumers alike;
• increase awareness among estate agents and consumers of the deleterious effects of racism, discrimination and acts of intolerance; 
• continuously assess the prevalence of racism and discrimination within the real estate sector; 
• provide effective remedial measures to persons who encounter acts of racism and discrimination within the real estate sector and improve the protection afforded to such victims of racism and discrimination; and
• engender a culture of commitment and support amongst estate agents and consumers to eliminate all vestiges of racism and discrimination.

The EAAB is resolved to deal harshly with the scourge of racism, howsoever and wheresoever arising, within its regulated sector. It therefore intends forthwith to:

• institute appropriate disciplinary proceedings against the offending estate agents arising from the publication of the unacceptable advertisement on the ‘Private Property’ portal;
• lodge a complaint with the SA Human Rights Commission for investigation which is likely to result in the matter being referred to the Equality Court for hearing;
• lodge a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority; and
• liaise directly with the owners of print, radio, television, digital and online media to ensure that they henceforth refuse to accept racist advertisements of the nature complained of.

The EAAB has established meaningful partnerships among all relevant stakeholders in the real estate sector with the objective of improving public awareness and increasing the interaction between itself and groups and individuals who are, have could potentially be, victims of racial discrimination within the sector.

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Issued by the Estate Agency Affairs Board

28 FEBRUARY 2017