Home

Bop Flats committee takes SABC to court opposing property auction

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Bop Flats committee says it has filed an urgent application at the North West High court in Mahikeng, opposing the decision by the SABC to auction the Bop Flats and some houses. The committee says there will be no sale of any SABC property without consultation.

Bop Flats committee member, Vusi Jobeta, says the public broadcaster should have followed proper procedures when disposing the assets. Some of the members claim that the SABC did not consult with the community before putting the property up for auction.  They have since forcefully occupied the SABC flats.

The group forcefully occupied the flats following the announcement by the SABC that it will be auctioning these flats, together with other properties, which are non-core assets of the corporation.

The public broadcaster sent out notices to some of its staff who were renting these properties. However, the group that has occupied the flats says the properties will not be sold on their watch.

“We will never allow as people of Mahikeng, we will never shy away and the issue of being taken to court is in the court of law at Mmabatho high court. Our attorneys will defend this matter of vacating Bop Flats and we believe that we will prove in the court of law that, what they trying to do to us is very illegal,” says Jobeta.

Community members hijack flats belonging to the SABC in Mahikeng:

 

About 20 houses and 60 flats will be auctioned on  19 May 2021. Community organisation, Bua Morafe has also shared the same sentiments of the Bop Flats committee. Spokesperson Papi Malefane says there is no way property can be sold as the PFMA is very clear that before you dispose of any public property there must be public participation.

“As Bua Morafe we feel  that this thing of selling the property of  our province without  public participation is wrong because that is in violation with the public finance management act so we try to send a clear message to the government,” says Malefane.

Disgruntled residents also marched to the Public Protector’s office  last week to lodge a formal complaint. The auction is in line with the SABC’s turnaround strategy to dispose of its non-core assets. Currently the community members have vowed to continue staying at the SABC flats.

However, the SABC spokesperson says SABC’s position with regard to the selling of non-core assets still stands.

Author

MOST READ
RELATED STORIES