(1) Any party who is dissatisfied with any decision of a housing court may appeal against such decision to the High Court within thirty days from the announcement by the housing court of such decision:
Provided that if, before the hearing commenced, the parties had lodged with the clerk of court an agreement in writing that the decision of the housing court should be final, no appeal shall lie from such decision.
(2) Upon the hearing of the appeal, the High Court may, subject to this Act— (a) confirm, vary, reverse or set aside the decision appealed from; (b) remit the matter to the housing court concerned with instructions in regard to the taking of further evidence or the setting out of further information; (c) order the parties or any of them to produce at some convenient time before the High Court such further evidence as shall to it seem necessary or desirable; (d) take any other course which may lead to the just, speedy and, as far as possible, inexpensive settlement of the matter;
(e) make such order as to costs as it may deem just.
(3) The Chief Justice and the Judge President of the High Court, after consultation with a committee appointed by the Chief Justice, may make rules relating to the procedure of bringing matters on appeal to the High Court in terms of this section: Provided that, until such rules are made, the rules governing an appeal from a magistrates court in a civil case shall, subject to subsection (1), apply, mutatis mutandis, and be followed.
(4) Rules made in terms of subsection (3) shall not have effect until they have been approved by the Minister responsible for justice and published in statutory instrument.