MALALANE – The owners of the prestigious Leopard Creek Golf Estate and the Nkomazi Local Municipality are locked in a dispute over approximately R64 million in unpaid property rates.
According to municipal spokesman, Mr Cyril Ripinga, the prime golf estate has been paying around R35 000 in property rates a year, instead of the R800 000 a month, which it should be paying.
The exclusive estate is home to an 18-hole golf course and plays host to the world’s top golfers during the annual Alfred Dunhill Championship. Some of the country’s wealthiest people and several celebrities own stands in the estate on the border of the Kruger National Park.
Leopard Creek is worth about R1,4 billion. This value determines the property rates due monthly and excludes municipal service fees.
The Leopard Creek Share Block reportedly entered into an agreement with the Malelane Transitional Council in 1996 to pay R35 000 a year for the property. The municipality argues that this is no longer valid since the municipality was formed in 2000 and the Municipal Property Rates Act was promulgated in 2004.
The dispute started when the municipality re-evaluated the property in 2012 and the rates were revised. Leopard Creek alleged that an incorrect method of valuation was used. It launched an appeal with the Ehlanzeni District Valuations Appeals Board, which evaluated the case and recently dismissed it.
Ripinga said Leopard Creek now intends to apply to the High Court for review.
“The municipality is prepared to fight to the bitter end to get what is due to it. The money will go a long way towards service delivery in the area,” he stated.
The municipality is currently heavily dependent on municipal grants in order to service the entire area, as only the larger towns and settlements such as Malalane, Hectorspruit, Marloth Park and Komatipoort are paying for services rendered.
Read more about the municipality’s finances:
- Municipality winning fight to improve
- R63 million to be spent on water infrastructure upgrades
