Court evicts businessman

COUNCIL PROPERTY: UTILITY ARREARS OF R1.3M

- Vhahangwele Nemakonde

The High Court in Johannesburg has ruled in favour of the Lesedi local municipality against a business that had been occupying the municipality's property without signing a lease agreement.

The municipality approached the court in a bid to force Heidelberg Beer Festival CC, run by Bouwe Wiersma, out of the Heidelberg Heritage Museum.

Wiersma opposed the municipality's application, saying he had been "in peaceful and undisturbed possession of the property and had operated a business there under a 19-year lease term, which was an improved term of the initial five years".

He told the court he had occupied the building since 2016 and commenced business operations in 2019.

The businessman did apply to lease the property from the municipality. The municipal council approved the lease of the property to Wiersma; however, no lease agreement was concluded.