The City of Johannesburg’s Department of Development Planning is in the final stages of piloting and tweaking its electronic Construction Permit Management System (CPMS) and urges architects to register as soon as possible.
Designed specifically for building permit purposes, the CPMS will streamline the current Site Development and Building Plan permit system. Professionals registered with the South African Council for the Architectural Professions (SACAP) can upload their building plans and receive real-time updates at every application stage.
The current turnaround period for building plans for a commercial property is at least 30 days. The department says the online permit system will provide a decision within 15 days, provided that the documentation is correct and complete.
According to SACAP’s Registrar, Adv Toto Fiduli, the new system will contribute significantly to the Professional Body’s public protection statutory mandate, particularly against fraudulent and unregistered persons. The CPMS will access SACAP’s database to confirm whether the person is in good standing and automatically reject fraudulent submissions.
