Whitfields takes the security and protection of the personal information of all our scheme owners and scheme residents very seriously, and consequently has in place a number of security measures embedded within our Information Technology System, and in our staff policies, company IT procedures and access permissions to our IT platform and database to ensure that all scheme and personal information is securely stored.
Each scheme that we manage has a team of Whitfields staff allocated to look after that scheme where the schemes information and the personal contact information of each Owner is only available to Whitfields staff and the elected scheme executives of a particular scheme through IT permissions from our IT department that limit access to such information for a specific purpose.
With the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) fully operational in South Africa, owners can rest assured that none of their personal information held and stored by Whitfields on behalf of the community scheme that we manage, is accessible or able to be shared with any third parties without their permission unless in terms of the prevailing Sectional Title Legislation and the POPIA. The over-riding principle applied by Whitfields should be that a person is entitled to be furnished with any available information that materially affects their interest, and this may include the personal information of another resident in the scheme being reasonably provided to such a person by a “responsible party” such as the Managing Agent holding such information.
Bodies Corporate comprise a collective of owners living in one scheme and who should all contribute to the financial wellbeing and to the successful and smooth day to day running of the scheme. As part of the Sectional Titles Scheme Management Act each owner is required by law to provide their personal details to the Body Corporate, that would include their full names, Identity numbers or passport numbers if non-South African citizens, Section and mailing addresses (if different), Telephone numbers and Email or other electronic addresses.
This personal information is securely stored on a scheme data base using our in-house IT system to allow us to access and use the relevant contact information to communicate with the owners on every day scheme management issues such as the sending out of monthly levy statements, addressing levy queries, levy reminders when payments are late and circulating any essential information to all owners and residents pertinent to the scheme. The trustees may make use of the scheme information we store when reviewing debtor reports or when they need to contact owners directly to address any issues that may have relevance to the running of the scheme.
Each scheme has a team of people looking after them. From a client interface point of view this includes the Scheme Relationship Manager (RM) who deals and interacts with the scheme management executives as required, the Relationship Assistant who assists the RM in their service offering to the scheme, and the Customer Service Consultant who deals with the owners of the scheme to be their interface with Whitfields and the scheme executives and who try to resolve owner issues as and when they arise.
Only this three-person team have access to the personal information of owners who own in that scheme. An Owner’s data is also protected by levels of permissions as to what information can be accessed, and everything that is done on our IT system is logged recording when data is accessed in terms of the time, date and by which member of staff. Permissions within the Whitfields IT system provides strict security of movement of any information, where any information accessed is monitored and is limited to the relevant permitted Whitfields staff, to an owner using their owner-assigned login details to access their own data, and where relevant to the scheme executives. Scheme Executives would have to request an individual owner’s personal contact information or a list of all the owners and their details from their scheme’s Relationship Manager.
Our websites are protected using the best practise cybersecurity available that is continually monitored and updated. There are strict permissions set per scheme as to who may and may not access the different layers where information is available on the scheme website. Permissions also are set around the users within a scheme and what each group of people / individuals need to see or need to access.
The permissions for access to scheme documents that are available on the scheme website are decided by the scheme executives such that certain scheme documents are only accessible by scheme executives, other documents are accessible to all owners and a third tab that allows occupants to access relevant scheme information such as scheme rules, correspondence and notifications regarding the running of the scheme.
Whitfields is committed to only collect and store data for a legitimate purpose and to use that information recorded in a way that matches the reason and purpose for us collecting and storing such information. As highlighted above we will take all reasonable steps to protect the integrity of the information and to only store the information for as long as it is required for our use, or in terms of any legislative requirement. Whitfields will ensure that access to the data stored is limited to those who are required to use it for a legitimate purpose of managing a scheme, and to ensure that Whitfields as a company remains POPI and PAIA Compliant in all respects.
Please do not hesitate to contact either your Customer Service Consultant or Relationship Manager should you have any concerns pertaining to the storage of your information and its processing, so that we can address any such concerns directly with yourself.
