Deal to smooth over Zumas’ eviction

LITIGATION brought in a bid to evict former president Jacob Zuma’s family from their posh rented home in Forest Town, Johannesburg, looks set to be settled out of court.

Businesswoman and ANC MP Zephrona Sizani Dubazana dragged the Zumas to the South Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, in her attempt to repossess the home procured for Zuma after he was axed from government in 2005.

After buying the house to the tune of R3.6 million via her company Hola Recruitment and Selection Services, Dubazana rented it to Zuma.

Dubazana was previously labelled a Zuma benefactor, and has faced allegations that her businesses scored government contracts due to this.

Dubazana resorted to the courts late last year after the Zumas allegedly defaulted on rent.

The rent was paid into the bond Hola Recruitment held with Absa.

Due to the defaulting, Absa won a court judgment against Hola Recruitment last year to attach the house.

According to reports, Dubazana wanted to gain access to the house so she could sell it via her preferred estate agency.

This would avoid Absa’s intended auction and save Dubazana some significant money.

Zuma’s daughter, Phumzile, reportedly offered to buy the property for R3.4m, but Dubazana rejected it on grounds that she agreed to sell it to the Zumas for R7.5m in 2009.

Judge Ingrid Opperman was due to hear Dubazana’s application yesterday, but lawyers asked her to postpone the hearing until later in the week.

Lawyers informed Judge Opperman negotiations were afoot to deal with the matter, hence their request for a postponement.

Brian Clayton, Dubazana’s lawyer, would not be drawn to comment on the negotiations.

“I don’t want to prejudice things,” he said.

The house on Epping Road, Forest Town, has been dogged by controversy previously.

Accusations of rape Zuma faced in 2006 stemmed from the same home.

The late Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo, known as Khwezi, alleged that Zuma raped her when she visited him there.

Zuma was acquitted and went on to become president of both the ANC and the country.

Zuma’s spokesperson, Vukile Mathabela, last year confirmed that the house was up for sale.

There’s no further information on why Zuma placed the house on the market. The house was again in the news in 2013. According to reports, it owed Joburg council nearly R900 000 for water, electricity and other charges.

The City of Johannesburg refuted the reports at the time, insisting that the property owed just about R12 822 for rates and taxes.