Prime historic site sold off in Gauteng land deal, no sign of who the owners are

The City of Johannesburg has sold 8 667 square metres of vacant land on Mooki Street, a provincial heritage site in Orlando East, Soweto, for R650 000.

Orlando East, particularly the Mooki Street precinct, is regarded as the birthplace of Soweto, with prominent historic sites Orlando Communal Hall and the house of the father of Soweto, James “Sofasonke” Mpanza, nearby.

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Though the property was sold in 2000, in 2015 and 2017 – the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) put out a tender or Requests For Proposals (RFP) for lease and retail development of the property.

However, these were bizarrely allowed to lapse, with the bidders told the tenders were either withdrawn or lapsed because of a historic land claim on the property.

According to locals, the vacant land now occupied by squatters was a coal storage facility for the SA Railways between the 1970’s and early 1990’s

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Smokescreens?

The JPC has contradicted itself, first confirming the land claim and its validity following an investigation that produced a report.

But when pressed for answers and request for the report on who claimed the land and the validity of the supposed claim in terms of Restitution of Land Rights Act, JPC made a U-Turn and said there was no claim on the land.

It now says the property was sold through an open tender process that bidders say they were never aware of.

Lekobakoba Construction and Projects tendered for both RFP’s but were given vague reasons for the withdrawal or allowing the tenders to lapse, leaving their plans to build a shopping complex on the land in limbo

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“Fake” land claim

The company’s Tshepo Madumo said they were told there was a land claim on the property but the JPC could not produce evidence of the claim.

“There was never a claim. The question is why are they lying? We are the ones who approached JPC with a proposal to build a mall on the property, the RFP were issued but never finalised. JPC claim to have investigated the claim but they cannot produce a report of their findings,” he said.

He said the JPC’s Bid Evaluation Committee had recommended their bid but the tender was allowed to lapse on senseless explanations.

Mudumo said JPC concluded a land audit in 2014, but the second tender lapsed whilst JPC was preoccupied investigating a “fake land claim”.

He said they were convinced because JPC’s administration oversight and their experience in the property business would have superseded any “fake land claim”.

“We believe JPC fabricated the land claim. What’s more concerning is that the 2020 town planning report, few months after the second lapse confirms the availability of this property. JPC has failed us as the community of Orlando east. Orlando east was the first township development of the greater Soweto in 1932, but we don’t have a single shopping centre,”

Mudumo said they are dependent on adjacent neighbourhoods like Noordgesig, Dube, Meadowlands, Maponya, Bara Mall and Diepkloof square for essential shopping, while transportation costs are steep, particularly for pensioners, elderly and the disabled.

According to JPC, the property was sold in December 2000, but transferring attorneys had failed in their duties to transfer the property and remained in the name of the City of Johannesburg.

Spokesperson Lucky Sindane did not say when JPC became aware of this, only that it was after tenders had been issued.

He said a council resolution did not specify the timeframe by which the property must be transferred after the conclusion of sale.

“We are seeking an opinion if the transfer is still possible due to the length of time that has lapsed,” Sindane said.

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