BLF group takes over Sodwana Bay Lodge
TENSIONS are high in Sodwana Bay after the controversial Black Land
First (BLF) group set its sights on the Sodwana Bay Lodge and forcibly took over the establishment last week.
About 30 BLF supporters occupied the lodge rooms and reportedly forced the management to hand over keys to the establishment in a bid to reverse 'apartheid-style leases'.
The matter has since landed at the Durban High Court, and the lodge management was granted a court interdict to evict the group members from the facility.
However, the BLF has refused to leave and said they were given a year's lease by the Zikahali Tribal Authority, which governs the Sodwana land and represents the local community.
While the tribal authority manages the land and developments on behalf of the community, the lodge is owned by multiple shareholders, including Club Leisure, the community and the Scotts (who were given a 20-year lease to manage the facility.)
Zikhali Tribal Council representative Maqhawe Zondo said the community decided to hand over the hotel after a dispute with the Scotts over shares.
'Various shareholders own shares, and concerns were recently raised about how the lodge management acquired the number of shares they had.
'It was then concluded that they did not follow due process, and the shares were revoked and given back to the community.
'The community then approached BLF to use the facility for their political gatherings, and BLF was given a lease of 12 months.
'All this was already decided on, but when it was time to hand over, we found that management of the lodge decided to challenge the matter.'
Despite being granted the court interdict, the lodge management has been unsuccessful in evicting BLF members.
The group had reportedly threatened to burn down the establishment should they be evicted or if police are involved in the matter.
'Within rights'
BLF chairperson Zah Dlamini told the ZO that the group was well within its rights to occupy the premises and did not believe in the court processes.
'Soon all these court processes will change. We cannot listen to them because they will favour their friends.
'At the end of the day, there is no such thing as tribal land. All land in South Africa belongs to black people.
'We did things the correct way. The tribal authority granted us a one year lease, and when we asked the Scotts for their 20-year lease, they could not show us one.
'Furthermore, we will be laying a formal complaint about the local police who are misusing their resources.'
Last week, Sodwana Bay Lodge general manager Herman Combrinck issued a statement to their timeshare guests informing them that the Black Land First authority was given the goahead by the local tribal authority to take over Coral Coast, the hotel rooms and the restaurant.
The notice warned guests of possible violence over the matter on 22 April.
'The current restaurant owner, Richard Scott, has applied for a court order to contradict and try to prevent the take over from taking place.
'As your safety and well being are our first priority, we would want you to be aware and bring to your attention that there might be actions not favourable to you as a guest.'
Combrinck later posted on Facebook that operations were running smoothly under the BLF management.