Makro concludes their submission for appeal
LONEHILL - Makro has completed their closing statements in the Makro appeal hearing.
The fifth day of the hearing picked up on 18 November after being postponed in October.
The hearing opened with Makro’s legal representative, Fanie Grobler giving Makro’s closing statements. Grobler went through Makro’s entire presentation before rebutting the statements made during the Magaliessig Action Forum’s (MAF) presentation. Grobler spent a significant amount of time talking about Debbie Booth’s presentation on behalf of MAF in which she came to the conclusion that there was no market need for a Makro store in the area. During day two of the hearing, Booth made a controversial presentation on her research into the need for a Makro store in the area that was picked apart by Grobler and Hein du Toit, Makro’s market research specialist.
During his closing statements, Grobler mentioned that the nodal boundary needed to be re-assessed which made all objections based on traffic problems null and void. He used Montecasino as an example of development in the southern side of the regional node and questioned why there was no opposition to Montecasino which is also a shopping facility. “Even if you have a supermarket, it doesn’t mean there isn’t need for another supermarket,” Grobler said. MAF is yet to give their closing statements.
