A ombud service recently launched by the Department of Human Settlements will handle the regulation‚ monitoring and control of the quality of all sectional title scheme governance documentation. Themba Mthethwa‚ the CEO and chief ombudsman of the new service, said: "Prior to the establishment of the Community Schemes Ombud Service‚ regulation of community schemes was fragmented. "There was a lack of an effective dispute resolution mechanism‚ [and] high arbitration and litigation costs to settle even minor disputes under Arbitration Act. Power imbalance and financial muscle between an ordinary property owner and a body corporate or managing agent served as a deterrent." Speaking at the launch of the service in Johannesburg, he added: "The Community Schemes Ombud Service will achieve this by developing and providing a cost-effective‚ value-for-money alternative dispute resolution service for all community schemes."
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