ANC backer booted out of home

Controversial ANC backer and oil trader Sandi Majali has been booted out of his plush Johannesburg home after a year-long battle to evict him.

On Tuesday the High Court in Johannesburg granted a writ of ejectment ordering the sheriff to remove the controversial businessman from the double-storey house in Sandhurst after he continuously failed to pay rent.

Majali, 47, first made headlines for his role in the notorious Oilgate saga in 2005 and has attracted scandal ever since, including a string of disastrous property dramas.

This week's order - granted in favour of the property owner, freight company Elit SA - came after Majali refused to move out when an eviction order was granted against him by the court last November.

Majali moved into the house in June 2007 with the intention of buying it for R8-million. Despite several sale agreements falling through, he continued to live in the house while shirking an agreement to pay monthly occupational rent.

At first he agreed to pay R30000 a month for the 1991m² home that has a pool, beautiful garden with several water features, sweeping staircases and extensive security.

A year later, when this amount increased to R72000, his payments stopped and, despite a few interim payments, by June 2009 he had run up a debt of R556000 in rent arrears and sundries when Elit SA headed to court.

In court papers, the company's manager, Makasi Sunguza, said Majali refused to budge after reneging on several promises to move out.

Sunguza described how he struggled for more than two years to make contact with an "elusive" Majali, who ignored telephone calls and messages.

He was also repeatedly denied access to the house.

The order this week came after Majali breached a further deal struck with the company in December - after the eviction order was granted - whereby he agreed to pay R110000 by December 10 and move out by the end of January.

Although the agreement was made an order of court, Majali failed to pay on time.

When the Sunday Times visited the property this week, an employee claimed that Majali's son, Phillip, lived in the house.

The businessman's son said he had no knowledge of the order and his father had moved out of the house "a month ago".

In an unusual twist, he added that he was now negotiating with the owner to buy the house.

This was confirmed by Sunguza, but he refused to give further details.

Several attempts to contact Majali were unsuccessful.