Hans Merensky employees unpaid

A reliable source who is connected to the hotel has divulged to the Herald that all employees of the hotel have not received their November salaries. Businessman, Senzo Tsabedze, of Indalo Hotels and Leisure and Afrirent Holdings, bought the hotel last November for R14 million at a public auction. However, the former owner, Shamira Rinderknecht, refused to let go of the property and continued to run the business as if it was still her own.

The source questioned Rinderknecht’s bona fides. It is alleged that after receiving payment for a recent golf event, she withdrew all of it.. The source said that problems at the hotel are damaging the reputation of the estate and the local economy. He also said that many service providers in town are owed money. “More than half of the bedrooms at the hotel are not usable, the ceilings are falling apart and nothing is functioning very well.

Also read: Hans Merensky new owner blocks former owner from accessing the hotel

“She needs to allow the new owners of the hotel to run the place, and refurbish it to its former glory,” the anonymous source said. The disgruntled employee further said he does not know what to tell his wife and children. When other people get their bonuses this December, we don’t even have food to eat. All we want is to get our salaries, this is affecting many families,” he added. Tsabedze told the Herald that he believes there is light at the end of the tunnel and believes he will soon have full access to his property.

He recently resorted to hiring security officers to block guests who want to book into the hotel or visit the spa and golf course. “We believe this was the right move, Rinderknecht was claiming all the money which was coming into the hotel as she was holding onto the hotel’s booking systems. We believe that now that our security officers are also inside the hotel preventing people from booking into the hotel, it will leave her low on cash and she may give up.

Also read: Hans Merensky to go under hammer

“We will be going back to court on January 26 and believe the judge will give us an eviction order, which will enable us to remove her for good,” Tsabedze explained. The only people that are allowed to enter the premises are the homeowners in the estate, who have also been affected by the continuing saga. It is said that homes that were on the market for R3.5 million are now only R800 000. The new owner said that their plan is to close the property for six months during which time they will repair and upgrade before opening it to the public.

On Tuesday this week, Tsabedze and his legal team were in court again as the hotel’s electricity is supplied by PMC. According to Tsabedze, Hans Merensky used to be owned by the mine before it was sold to Rinderknecht and they had an agreement to supply her with electricity. However, Tsabedze says the mine is not authorised to supply electricity to a third party and wants PMC to stop supplying the hotel with electricity.

At the time of going to the press, the outcome of the court proceedings was still unknown. Employees had also not received their salaries yet from Rinderknecht. The Herald called Rinderknecht without success. The Herald will continue to report on the story as it progresses.