Bloemfontein heritage site safe for now after AfriForum halts sale
The Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality may not proceed with the sale or long-term leasing of 153 municipal properties, according to an out-of-court settlement reached with AfriForum. Under this settlement, an interdict is now in force preventing any further alienation of historical sites such as Naval Hill in the Franklin Nature Reserve. The Municipality must now provide proof within 15 days that the lawful process was indeed followed in seeking to alienate these properties.
Dalena Beyers, Advisor for Local Government Affairs at AfriForum, says the settlement is a major victory for the preservation of Bloemfontein’s history and the promotion of fair local government practices.
“When a municipality fails to facilitate proper public participation and neglects to follow fair procedures, the principles of transparency and responsible public administration are undermined. It is therefore a major victory for the Bloemfontein community that this process has been halted.”
AfriForum was made aware of the proposed alienation and leasing of the municipal properties last year and shortly afterwards initiated legal action to stop it from happening. Legislation requires municipalities, among other things, to facilitate proper consultation with the public before any municipal asset may be sold or leased. In addition, no land may be alienated if it is used to provide any services to the public.
“These properties essentially belong to the community, not to the political elite who wanted to trade them behind closed doors. We simply could not allow strategically and historically significant land, such as the new Tempe Airport and Naval Hill, to be alienated without proper public participation and transparency,” says Christo Groenewald, AfriForum’s Coordinator for Bloemfontein.
Beyers says it is thanks to the vigilance of Bloemfontein’s residents that this process was halted and that several natural and heritage treasures will be preserved.
“It is concerning that AfriForum first had to approach the court before the Municipality would comply with legislation. However, this case once again proves that residents must remain aware of developments in their municipal areas and act within the framework of the law to oppose them,” Beyers concludes.
