Liliesleaf house to go on auction

It reads like a property seeker's dream - a spacious home nestled in more than 2000m² of landscaped gardens in the heart of upmarket Rivonia in northern Johannesburg.

But it's what might lie buried beneath the 350m² house that could be the real drawcard for buyers.

The house, which is due to go under the hammer next month, is believed to be built on the spot where Nelson Mandela buried his Makarov pistol.

The former president revealed in 2003 that he had hidden the pistol - a gift from Haile Selassie, his military trainer in Ethiopia in 1962 - on what used to be Liliesleaf farm, where he often hid while on the run.

Parts of the original farm have made way for suburban homes over the years, and the search for the pistol, now estimated to be worth R22-million, has been in vain .

Two gardens in the neighbourhood have been dug up and a suburban house has been demolished in the search for the elusive pistol.

Now the owner of 5 George Avenue, Al Leenstra, wants to sell it. He hopes to get at least R3-million.

Leenstra's lawyer, Bobby Lanham-Love, said his client was a pensioner and would like the market value of the historic property.

"He has no extortionate demands ... and if the pistol is indeed there, they would want it returned to its rightful owner, Mandela," Lanham-Love said.

He added that the future owners could do what they wanted to the property, but no one would be allowed to excavate it while Leenstra was still the owner.

Achmat Dangor of the Nelson Mandela Foundation said the sale of the property was not within the foundation's jurisdiction. "We also don't have plans to make a bid for this property," Dangor said.

The chief executive of the Liliesleaf Trust, Nicholas Wolpe, said he was disappointed that the property was being auctioned.

"We would like to buy it, but we rely on donor funding.

"That property is the last likely place where the pistol could be. However, we have been denied access to the property, and we're disappointed with the route that the owner has taken," Wolpe said.

The lead auctioneer ofHigh Street Auction Company, Joff van Reenen, said the property had "been in demand for many years, with numerous offers being made to the current owner".

"The property holds its own value owing to its location in the north of Johannesburg and the fact that it is adjacent to such a famous landmark in our city. We are expecting a record turnout at the auction, as we have had significant interest from buyers both locally and abroad, as well as from gun collectors" Van Reenen said.

• The property will be auctioned at Summer Place in Hyde Park on May 12.