She invested her life savings into what was to be her dream home in Gamtoos — but all she has to show for it is a flimsy foundation and five skew pillars.
The builder the woman entrusted with the project allegedly took her money and has been unreachable since.
She is not the only one.
A string of residents in the small tourist destination just outside Gqeberha, including a wheelchair-bound man, say they have fallen victim to Jaco Gerber.
Police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said they were investigating the man and were working on tracking him down in a bid to obtain a warning statement from him.
It is understood the police have visited at least four addresses linked to Gerber.
However, they have not been able to trace him.
Attempts by The Herald to reach Gerber for comment via calls and WhatsApp messages also proved futile.
Meanwhile, the complainants say their communication with the builder ceased about a month ago.
“The investigation is ongoing and the detective is tracing the alleged suspect to obtain a warning statement,” Janse van Rensburg said.
A search on the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) website shows Gerber’s business, CBL Construction, was in fact registered with them.
However, his NHBRC certificate allegedly expired in October 2024.
The NHBRC is a regulatory body of the home building industry.
Its mandate is to protect housing consumers and ensure builders comply with the prescribed building industry standards.
The first complainant, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Gerber was supposed to build a home for her worth R1m in Gamtoos.
Instead, she alleged, Gerber pocketed almost R700,000 — and she now had barely anything to show for it.
“He started the foundation work but when we got a new builder in he had to redo the foundation because there was no reinforcement.
“The foundation had to be dug up and redone,” the woman said, adding that she had given a statement to the police.
She said she had first reached out to Gerber in 2023.
“This is the house I wanted to spend the rest of my life in. I am retired.”
She said her son had bought the plot.
“At the moment, all we have is a foundation and five skew pillars. It’s shocking.”
Johann Nel said he received a R700,000 quote from Gerber to build his home in 2023.
However, he said it turned out to be “one big disaster”.
He said he had finally realised in November 2024 that he had allegedly been duped.
“Jaco started the foundation but then [allegedly disappeared] for about five months.”
During this time, Nel said, he was in Mossel Bay, unaware that Gerber had allegedly stopped working on his property.
“I found out through people I know in the resort that work had stopped,” he said.
“Eventually, I had to get things sorted out myself and the house is now about 80% complete.”
Listing the various problems, Nel said the deck was allegedly built much smaller than had been indicated on the building plan.
“He didn’t seal the wooden floors as required, nor did he fit the ceiling to my double garage.
“The electrical wiring wasn’t finished and the aero lights weren’t installed.”
Nel said the R700,000 he paid was meant to include renovations to the shower, the installation of a geyser and the varnishing and sealing of the floors.
“I was given a date to move in but when I arrived there wasn’t hot water, the shower wasn’t finished and the geyser hadn’t been fitted.
“The builder just [allegedly] vanished after he was paid the full amount according to his quotation, and left the house unfinished.”
Another client, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said her house was supposed to be completed in six months.
They had rented a house while they waited for their new home to be built.
“It took him a year, not the six months we were given.
“We eventually moved in on May 1 2023 and noticed there were still things that needed to be done, including tiling the bathroom.”
In addition, because the building work was not completed in the six-month time frame they had allegedly been given, they had to continue paying rent.
She said about R70,000 of the work she had paid for was never completed.
Another client, Clive Oosthuizen, said he lost about R500,000.
Oosthuizen, who is wheelchair-bound, said he hired Gerber to build him a house in Gamtoos.
But, to his dismay, he claimed the windows were not put in correctly and the door was upside down.
“The flimsy ceiling leaks,” he said.
Another complainant, who asked not to be named, said her Gamtoos house was meant to be completed in three months but it took nearly a year to build.
“The quality and workmanship is shocking, and the plans had to be redone at an additional cost,” she said.
“We then had to live in an unfinished house while they were still building.
“He most likely cost me more than R100,000 in additional costs apart from the stress and heartache.”
The Herald has reported on at least four alleged dodgy builders over the past two years, two of whom were arrested.
Most recently, a criminal case was opened against builder Marius Stoltz.
The Gqeberha high court ordered Stoltz to pay R650,000 to his client, Shane Brown.
In June 2023, a Jeffreys Bay builder was accused of swindling people by promising to fulfil their dream renovations but allegedly never delivered.
In September that year, Juan Roux was arrested. He was released on bail and his case is ongoing.
In December 2023, Gqeberha contractor Donovan Greyling was accused of duping people by promising to revamp their homes or do maintenance work but also allegedly failed to deliver.
Greyling was arrested in October 2024.
According to the NHBRC, the home builder should enrol the home prior to construction.
The NHBRC cannot provide warranty cover if the home is not enrolled.
The enrolment of a person’s home enables the NHBRC to conduct quality home inspections at various stages of construction and provides housing consumers with a warranty for minor defects identified within the first three months, roof leaks within the first year, and major structural defects within the first five years.
Once the homeowner takes occupation, the builder is obliged to offer certain warranties.
“Should the builder be unwilling or unable to remedy the defects, the NHBRC will investigate the [problems] and remedy from the warranty fund should it be confirmed,” the NHBRC explains on its website.
Prof John Smallwood, of Nelson Mandela University’s department of construction management, said there were some key red flags to look out for.
“Unfavourable media coverage, lack of qualifications, not being a member of a builders’ association, not being registered with the NHBRC, and not being registered with the Construction Industry Development Board, are just a few,” he said.
Smallwood said it was best to secure recommendations and interrogate qualifications and registration.
“The enrolment of a new home is the first step, as provided by the Housing Consumer Protection Act.
“This includes alterations and additions.
“Always conclude a written contract, which includes payment details, the necessary insurances, and penalties for late completion.
“The builder must provide a ‘letter of good standing’. Avoid paying deposits in advance.”
He said in the case of unfinished or abandoned projects, should the builder be a member of an association or registered body, the first step was to report the builder.
“Should a performance bond have been provided by the builder, the client can invoke [this].
“It should be noted that this is not a common practice in residential construction and has a cost implication for the client as the builder would have included the cost of the performance bond in the project sum.
“Legal action is an option. However, the probability of success should be deliberated.”
The Herald
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