Page 41 - NHBRC Flipbook

TIP

‘Ensure that you
always, but always,
sign contracts before
you begin work.
You need to protect
index
yourself.’

BIG DREAMS
Zandile
Nkabinde
wants to
grow her
business into
a large
company with
at least 20
people
working
permanently
PHOTO: ELIZABETH
SEJAKE

Building

A HEALTHY BUSINESS

opportunity

Zandile Nkabinde used to inspect buildings until she was bitten by the

construction bug, writes SUE GRANT-MARSHALL

In the beginning Hurdles
Zandile Nkabinde grew up in Newcastle, KwaZulu- A project in partnership with the “It’s a major challenge to not have my own
Natal. She’s the daughter of a mother who was a nurse, construction plant – trucks, graders, diggers, etc –
and a father who owned spaza shops and supermarkets NHBRC because you have to hire them and if you don’t have
in the town. credit then it’s a huge problem.”
After matriculating from St Lewis Bertrand’s High Nkabinde has to go to several firms to hire plant.
School, Nkabinde sadly realised that her dreams of That makes the process laborious and time-consuming.
becoming a clinical psychologist were impractical. Her TALK TO US
father no longer had his shops and her sole
breadwinner mother couldn’t afford to send her to Email projects@ citypress.co.za, Overcoming obstacles
university on her nurse’s salary. tweet @City_Press #OppIndex or SMS us on 34263 using “I do what I have to do and I’m managing. I love my
“So I decided to study environmental health because the keyword PROJECTS and tell us what you are interested business. I feel successful and happy.”
I wanted to work in communities – and technikons
were the way to go,” says Nkabinde. in. Please include your name. SMSes cost R1.50 each
She enrolled for a diploma course at Mangosuthu Next step
University of Technology and then went to the Durban “I do contracts as they come in and I hire labourers
University of Technology, helped by bursaries from the Imidwi (Ray of sunshine) Construction. accordingly – sometimes up to 12. I have three permanent
Catholic Church and the government. Her first job was building toilets at Ohlanga High employees. My five-year plan includes building a bridge
Before she completed her diploma, she was School, the first to be started in South Africa by a black over a highway. I want to obtain a higher CIDB, which
employed as a student health inspector at person, John Dube. He was also the first president of will put me in the running for bigger jobs.”
Nkandla. what became the ANC. In the process, Nkabinde will be supporting smaller
“It was terrible because I was a township girl and “I was so excited because that’s where President contractors “and taking them with me”.
there I was driving into the bush on terrible roads. Nelson Mandela voted in our first elections.”
Huge lorries thundered past me and I was terrified as She was doing well. But in 2010, while doing joint
I’d just got my licence,” says Nkabinde with a chuckle. ventures with a partner, she realised that something Dreams and goals
“But it made me strong.” was not right. “I want to grow into a large company with at least
Between 1997 and 2002 she worked in Empangeni “We parted ways. The lesson I learnt was to ensure I 20 people working permanently for me.
inspecting buildings to see that they adhered to safety always put everything down on paper. There has to be “Ideally, I’d like to be part of a large consortium of
standards, ensured that schools were up to par and a written contract. female contractors all working together because this is
checked food in restaurants. “I stood to lose everything and would have done so a male-dominated industry and people say that women
Her next job was with an NGO, Mvula Trust. if two of my closest friends, Sane Mdlalose and Bongi can’t work together successfully.
Nkabinde checked water and sanitation in communities Mpongwana, had not come to my rescue.” “I want to prove them wrong,” says Nkabinde with a
in and around Empangeni, and moved on into project Nkabinde picked herself up and started afresh. defiant note in her voice.
facilitation, constructing water facilities and toilets in Since then she’s been doing civil work, and water
communities. and sanitation projects around Empangeni, as well as
She worked for the Mvula Trust for five years before road construction and pedestrian walkways. She’s now The NHBRC is important…
deciding she wanted to be her own boss and to have also doing the latter in the uThungulu District “It’s a quality-management organisation. That’s important
her own construction business, and she registered Municipality. for me because I want to build high-quality houses.”

How to complain to the NHBRC

The complaints procedure aims to: Types of complaints its obligations to you in terms of home. If you experience a roof leak 3. Five-year major structural defects
. Assist you by ensuring that 1. Three-month noncompliance section 13(2)(iii) of the act. These within one year from the date of period
home builders meet their obligations period require the home builder to rectify occupation and the home builder has The NHBRC may seek the home
under the act. If a complaint relates to the defects within three months of the failed to respond to the complaint, the builder’s response in terms of the act.
. Assess applications made by three-month noncompliance period date of occupation. (Rectification of NHBRC will notify the home builder We may immediately issue you with a
homeowners seeking assistance from and you have notified the home minor defects will be undertaken by and seek an immediate response. request for conciliation and may
the NHBRC for the rectification of builder, the NHBRC will seek to the home builder, not the NHBRC.) Failing this, we may issue a request request a prescribed refundable
major structural defects. resolve the complaint telephonically 2. One-year roof-leak period for conciliation. The home builder has conciliation deposit from you. The
. Detect contraventions of the act and through correspondence with the The home builder provides you with an obligation, in terms of the act, to conciliation deposit will be refunded
that require disciplinary action or home builder. We will pursue the a one-year warranty against roof rectify roof leaks that you have once the complaint has been dealt
prosecution. home builder to ensure that it meets leaks upon occupation of your new brought to its notice within one year. with, unless it is found to be frivolous.