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Leopard Creek must pay up

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 The Leopard Creek Country Estate in Mpumalanga
The Leopard Creek Country Estate in Mpumalanga

In a desperate bid to force Mpumalanga’s pristine Leopard Creek Golf Estate to pay higher rates to the poor Nkomazi Local Municipality, civil rights activists have threatened to disrupt the international golf tournament that kicked off at the estate on Thursday.

Leopard Creek is partly owned by South Africa’s richest man, Johann Rupert.

City Press has learnt that land activists from Black First Land First (BLF) were planning unspecified action against Leopard Creek in solidarity with the poor municipality in Malelane for the unpaid property rates and taxes already, which are estimated to be more than R64 million.

The Alfred Dunhill Championship has attracted top golfers from around the globe, including the likes of Spain’s Pablo Martin, the UK’s John Bickerton and South Africa’s Branden Grace.

However, the owners of Leopard Creek Golf ­Estate have poured cold water over the threats to disrupt the tournament.

Asked whether the estate planned to increase ­security and prevent protesters from entering the premises, Leopard Creek Share Block director ­Dillie Malherbe gave a terse response to written questions on the matter, saying: “BLF is clearly not well ­informed regarding the difference ­between Leopard Creek and the Nkomazi Local ­Municipality.

“Perhaps you should speak to the legal representatives of the municipality.”

The municipality claims that Leopard Creek Golf Estate, which is situated on the banks of the Crocodile River near the Kruger National Park, was ­valued at R1.4 billion in 2012.

However, the property, which is owned by Leopard Creek Share Block, is digging in its heels and is demanding it pay an ex gratia payment of R35 000 a year based on an outdated agreement it entered into with the erstwhile ­Malelane transitional local council in 1996.

The municipality claims the estate should be paying at least R9.8 million a year.

City Press has learnt that BLF activists had been in the area this week to inspect the property. The founder of the organisation, Andile Mngxitama, and Mpumalanga leader Vusi Mhlongo, declined to divulge the nature of the protest plans, saying: “We consider Johann ­Rupert as a common criminal. It didn’t surprise us that he is not paying taxes … we’re focusing on him and won’t allow white capital to get away with murder.”

Mngxitama accused Rupert and his business partners of “milking the state” and terrorising ­everyone who is trying to get them to pay the rates and taxes.

According to the municipality, the agreement the estate is refusing to be amended became null and void when the Municipal Property Rates Act came into effect in 2004. Leopard Creek has lost its appeal at the Valuation Appeal Board and has taken the matter to the Pretoria High Court for review.

City Press has a copy of a letter dated November 15 that Leopard Share Block lawyer Corrie Janse van Vuuren wrote to the municipality seeking to block the re-evaluation of the property before the court reviewed its initial evaluation process.

“Our client and possibly other parties hereto will be severely prejudiced and will suffer irreparable harm should the second phase [re-evaluation be undertaken] ... prior to the final disposal of our client’s review application,” Janse van Vuuren said.

Nkomazi municipality’s lawyer, Frans Meyer, said the municipality instructed him to issue fresh summons to demand payment of all arrears in property rates that became due and payable from the date of the new valuation roll.

“Our instructions are that your client has also now ceased paying any property rates to our client. This is done to put financial strain on our client in an attempt to force a settlement,” Meyer said.

The municipality relies heavily on grants from national government to provide services to 54 ­villages. It only generates revenue (30% of its ­budget) from four business centres – Malelane, Hectorspruit, Komatipoort and Marloth Park.

“This is one battle we’ll continue fighting until they pay,” said municipal spokesperson Cyril ­Ripinga.

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