There's light at the end of the tunnel for local businessman Rob Beer, who has taken Makana Municipality to court.
There's light at the end of the tunnel for local businessman Rob Beer, who has taken Makana Municipality to court.
The case challenges the municipality's alleged failure to act on applications relating to Beer's extensive development plans for the city.
Council records show that Makana Municipality's mayoral committee noted Beer's court action and referred discussion about it to a council meeting scheduled for today, but postponed to Tuesday 24 June.
Municipal spokesperson Yoliswa Ramokolo confirmed yesterday that the mayoral committee had approved that the matter go before Council.
The plans placed on hold include an extension of Pepper Grove Mall, expanding the Spar convenience store in African Street into a Spar Supermarket and turning the old cinema at Pepper Grove Mall into a casino.
Beer said this would create around 214 jobs.
After a series of delays in processing the necessary paperwork, Beer turned to the courts.
The high court in Grahamstown has since red-flagged the failure of the municipality to adjudicate on Beer's application for the rezoning of land.
The court ordered in terms of Section 6(2)(g) of the promotion of Administrative Justice Act 3 of 2000 that the application, resubmitted on 10 August last year, be reviewed.
It further ordered that the municipality must adjudicate on the application within seven days.
The order was served on Monday 9 June.
Beer said the municipality was holding up projects worth at least R50 million which would create about 120 new permanent jobs, with more to come from the construction phase.
The businessman said his investments in the town generate millions in rates and services for the municipality and that his companies employ 61 permanent workers.
