Randburg gym owner beats city in court

A RANDBURG woman can legally keep running a home exercise studio despite the City of Johannesburg issuing noncompliance fines and penalties, which were enforced and included the disconnection of electricity and water supply at her property.

- CHEVON BOOYSEN

This week, Sylvia Lampe’s court battle against the municipality came to a head, where the city was interdicted from cutting basic services at her home. The court found that levying property rates against her property based on the tariff applicable to properties put to an illegal use is unlawful.

Since 1992, Lampe has been granted an indefinite operating licence by the Randburg Town Council, which eliminated the need for an annual licence fee that Lampe had diligently paid. In 2017, the city, which had assumed the rights and obligations of the Randburg Town Council rights and obligations, determined that Lampe did not have its consent to operate her business from the property.