Mashaba ‘desperate’

Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba’s comments on Sandton Gautrain station water cuts display “extreme desperation”, Gauteng public transport and road infrastructure MEC Jacob Mamabolo said.

Mamabolo said Mashaba was trying to drag the Gauteng provincial government (GPG) and Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) into a rates and taxes dispute between the city and the station’s landlord, Cedar Park Properties.

The city claims municipal rates have not been paid since 2013, resulting in a debt of R8 million.

The dispute also led to a situation in which the water supply at the Sandton station was cut off two weeks ago.

However, Mamabolo said the dispute had “nothing to do with the GPG and GMA”.

He said the cuts at the station were made even though the municipality accounts were paid.

“This matter has nothing to do with the GMA and the GPG as this is a dispute between the City of Johannesburg and a company called Cedar Park.

“How the mayor has made it a provincial government issue is bizarre and smacks of a desperate attempt at scoring cheap political points.”

He added that the GMA was unsuccessful in its plea with the city to reconnect water supply which was impacting commuters.

Temporary measures have been put in place to mitigate the water cuts at the station.

In a statement last week, Mashaba said damning information came to light during a billing issue with the property, which is before the High Court in Johannesburg.

The issue stemmed from a 2009 agreement between Joburg Property Group, on behalf of the City, and Cedar Park.

Joburg Property Group sold the land to Cedar Park for R280 million, “however, the transfer of this land was only registered in the deeds office in 2013”, Mashaba said.

“One must ask, why would the city ever finance the sale of its own land to a private company? – News24 Wire