Annetjie is a practising Attorney, Notary Public, and Conveyancer, operating from both the Cape Town and Helderberg branches of STBB. Her responsibilities include Director of STBB, branch head of STBB Helderberg, and member of the firm’s Executive Committee. In addition, she is head of the Development Law Unit, which is a specialist forum addressing development requirements in the fields of planning law, environmental law, construction law, renewable energy law, and, importantly, local government law. As a practising Conveyancer, Annetjie deals with a conglomerate of property-related matters such as sectional titles, developments, bonds, transfers, and municipal work for local councils. Further, her expertise extends to all aspects of notarial work. She has worked on numerous large-scale developments in the Western Cape, particularly in Stellenbosch, Helderberg, and the Overberg area. Although she specialises in conveyancing, Annetjie is passionate about family law and has a special interest in the constitutional law aspects of children’s rights. She is actively involved in the firm’s marketing and brand development on a national level. Annetjie also oversees various compliance and reporting initiatives. She engages in substantial research activities related to the property market and property investment, communicating interesting and relevant facts to her clients and the media. In addition, Annetjie conducts Legal Updates for banks and estate agents. Her extensive knowledge and experience in the property market, along with her connections with key role-players in the property industry, make her an invaluable ally for any property investor. Demonstrating her commitment to professional growth, Annetjie is currently focused on becoming a specialist in the field of green energy law.

  • Blog|31st August 2021

From the desk of Annetjie | Buidling regulations pertaining to swimming pool requirements

As a result of the considerable number of children who have drowned in South Africa, several by-laws and building regulations have been enforced to limit these tragic accidents.

In terms of the National Building Regulations, every owner of a swimming pool is required to control strict access to that swimming pool, failing which the owner can be guilty of an offence and liable for negligence should a drowning incident occur.

National Building Regulations further states that an owner shall be deemed to have satisfied the requirements of control where the access to the pool complies with South African National Standards as published in the South African Bureau of Standards. These standards being:

  1. A wall or fence must be provided by the owner of a site that contains a swimming pool or a swimming bath.
  2. A wall or fence shall be provided in any interconnected complex which contains a swimming pool or swimming bath.
  3. Such wall or fence and any such gate therein shall be not less than 1.2 metres high, measured from the ground level, and shall not contain any opening that will permit the passage of a 100mm diameter ball.
  4. The constructional requirements of any steel fence or gate must comply with the requirements in SANS 1390.

Ultimately a local authority determines whether or not the access is adequately controlled. Depending on where your property is situated, make sure to ascertain what the local requirements are. For example, the Building Development Management of the City of Cape Town states that one requires building plan approval for a swimming pool, failing which no occupancy certificate will be issued by the Municipality.

It is therefore vital that pool owners ensure that adequate safety measures are in place and are adhered to i.e. that the gate latches work and that the pool cover is secured, etc. Negligence can still occur where reasonable efforts have not been taken to ensure that the safety measures are effective.

For more information, please contact: Annetjie Coetsee

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