The attached notice from property practitioner that the Deeds Registry Office of Pretoria is closed indefinitely without any alternative for them to serve residents of Pretoria comes as no surprise.
Upon our investigation the DA discovered that this was as a result of the failure of the Department of Public Works to relocate the Deed Registry to a new office. This delay is allegedly attributed to concerns by unions related to challenges with the new building.
The request for a response on this issue by the DA was not addressed, but merely acknowledged and forwarded to Deputy Director General of Real Estate Management Services.
The Democratic Alliance calls on Minister Thoko Didiza to urgently address her counterpart Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Sihle Zikalala to resolve this matter. The delay in registration has a financial impact and penalty for people involved in relevant transactions and it is totally unacceptable that South Africans are treated with this level of disdain.
The Democratic Alliance shall continue to apply pressure on the Department of Public Works to ensure that the Deeds Registry is open for property practitioners to lodge their deeds without undue delays. We will update the citizens of Pretoria on progress made in this regard.