NC municipality in contempt – AfriForum

against the municipality with cost.

“The letter of demand to pay the legal costs has already been served on the municipal manager by the sheriff. To date there has, however, not been any correspondence from the municipal manager. To disregard a court order is a criminal offence. We can no longer allow municipal officials to get away with actions like these.”

According to Hein Gonzales, AfriForum’s Law and Risk Coordinator for Community Affairs, the registrar of the High Court in Kimberley ordered on December 20 last year that legal fees of about R265 000 be paid back to AfriForum.

“Despite the written letter of demand, the municipality has to date not paid back anything,” Gonzales stated. “With this letter of demand for execution we will let the sheriff remove the municipality’s movable property and sell it at a judicial auction to get back our legal cost.”

The municipality, however, has denied that a letter of demand was served on the municipal manager by the sheriff of the court, as stated by AfriForum.

“The municipality contacted the office of the sheriff to request a copy of that letter and he informed us that he is not in possession of such letter and that they were closed on December 13 last year,” communication officer for the municipality, Kgalalelo Letshabo, stated. “The only correspondence in our possession regarding this matter was sent to us on October 18 2016 which was the notice of taxation.”

She added that the municipality had received confirmation from the state attorney that the letter was only sent last week. “To date, however, we have not received it. Once the municipality receives the court order, we will attend to the matter.”