Gauteng premier’s mansion sold for almost R18-million
The official residence of the premier of Gauteng has been sold for almost R18-million – just shy of double the auction reserve price.
On Monday‚ infrastructure development MEC Jacob Mamabolo would not provide a figure as he said he was waiting for the auctioneer to give him a report.
But TMG Digital has it on authority that the property was sold for R17.75-million and the auctioneers are meeting the buyer on Tuesday morning.
The house in Bryanston‚ which was meant to be the official residence of Premier David Makhura but he chose not to occupy it‚ went on auction with a starting bidding price of R9.25-million. The reserve price was R9-million.
It was one of 18 properties that were auctioned online by Tirhani Auctioneers on behalf of the provincial Department of Infrastructure Development.
Mamabolo said on Monday that the results of the auction had to be studied.
“I have to get the report from the auctioneers first and then decide on the next step. It is only after receiving the report that I then can say the auction met our expectations. At this stage‚ I would not want to pre-empt the report that the auctioneers are suppose to submit to me‚” Mamabolo said.
“We have said that the auction will be an open and transparent process. That we are still committed to.”
The premier's residence was the only residential property among the 18 assets that were among the first to be auctioned by the department. The auction is part of the department's strategy to dispose of immovable assets that do not bring value or meet the core function of the Gauteng Provincial Government. Mamabolo said that those who had submitted the highest bids in the auction are not guaranteed ownership.
“We have said it publicly that we reserve the right to hand |over ownership. Having offered the highest price does not mean you have ownership. You could have offered the highest bid‚ but when it’s time to pay‚ we discover you do not have the money. Or it could happen that you are the MEC and we will reserve the right of ownership‚” he said.
The property‚ on Eccleston Crescent‚ was bought by the provincial government from a French businessman in 2004 for R11.4-million. An additional R4-million was spent on renovations and repairing “structural defects”.
Those millions were spent during the tenure of his predecessor‚ now Water Affairs and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane.
The department has compiled a list of 413 properties considered assets that are not creating value for the department.
Some assets which are residential properties had people living in them‚ which means that those residing in them have to be given a chance to buy them. People living in these properties are government employees and members of the general public. – TMG Digital