News About Pilgrim’s Rest

The High Court in Pretoria has ruled that an application for an interdict submitted by the business people of Pilgrims Rest in Mpumalanga was indeed urgent.

At the onset of the matter on 25 July 2012, Judge Stanley Makgoba said he deemed the application made by affected business people as a matter deserving urgency.

The group of business people is seeking an urgent interdict to prevent their eviction from business premises in Pilgrims Rest.

At least 17 tenants in the old gold mining town, which has been declared a national monument, face eviction at the end of the month after being served with notices. See my previous post on Pilgrim's Rest!

After Makgoba’s ruling on the urgency, the court started hearing argument from legal representatives of the applicants and respondents.

Seventeen businesses in Pilgrim's Rest, Mpumalanga, have been ordered to close by the end of the July 2012. 

The Provincial Department of Public Works, Road and Transport issued the businesses with eviction orders at the beginning of July giving those 31 days to close.

The historic gold mining town's architecture had remained unchanged since the 1800s and it was declared a national monument in 1986. It was run by the Department of Public Works, and business owners leased properties.

Tourism was the backbone of the town's economy and provided employment to residents of the Schoonplaas Township.

Department spokesperson Dumisa Malamule said the Department had advertised the leasing of buildings in a tender bulletin in October 2011, and the closing date was in November 2011.

"The leases of all business which were on tender had expired. The whole tender process was finalized in June 2012, as the process allowed for a 90-day validity period with an allowance of extension when there is a need," he said.