ZCC wins right to worship on land earmarked for building of a lodge

Businessman failed to prove he was awarded site - court

- By Ngwako Malatji

A Limpopo businessman's dream of creating jobs in Groblersdal went up in smoke after the Zion Christ Church (ZCC) won a court battle to evict him and stop him from building a lodge on a piece of land they both don't own.

Rachidi Maboe's appeal against an order granted by the local magistrate's court for him to vacate the land he had occupied to build a lodge was dismissed with costs by the Limpopo High Court on May 15. The matter between Maboe, the appellant, and the ZCC, the respondent, was heard on February 28.

Before delivering his judgment, Judge Marisa Naudé-Odendaal stated that the local court handed a judgment on March 22, 2024, ordering Maboe and other people occupying portion 13 Farm Klipbank, Masakaneng, to vacate the property on or before May 31, 2024, failing which, the sheriff was authorised to evict them on or after June 3, 2024.

The injunction, said the judge, further interdicted Maboe and all those occupying the property through him from taking occupation of the property after being evicted.

This was after the ZCC applied for the eviction of Maboe and others and interdicted them from occupying the property, which the church wants to use as a place of worship.

He said the ZCC, submitted that it has a clear right in that the property in question was allocated to it since 2017 by Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality in Ga-Sekhukhune, through a council resolution.

The resolution decreed that the church should be liable for erecting the fence on the property. It also decreed that building any structure on the land should be done in accordance with the National Building Regulation and Building Standard Act, among others.