CAPE TOWN – The fate of the Cape Good Hope Centre remains up in the air. As of yet, it cannot be confirmed who the buyer will be.

This week the City of Cape Town said a full report would serve before the relevant Council structure in due course.

“The City of Cape Town is currently considering the outcome of an external due diligence process conducted on the Good Hope Centre bidding process.

The City is unable to comment further on bidders or process details while this is under consideration,” the City said.

Second bidder

In a radio interview with Radio 786 last week, Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis denied that the Cape Good Hope Centre is being taken over by a Nigerian church.

“I can’t really say too much about this but I don’t really think that the person had the money that they had and they are unable to pay for it,” he said.

Ultimately, this means the goes to the second highest bidder, he confirmed.

“You’ll be very interested to know who the second-highest bidder was. The first highest bidder was a church the second highest bidder was a mosque but I’m not sure if I’m allowed to say that but the bottom line is I think now it will go to second highest bidder,” said Hill-Lewis on air.

The offer was 135 million rand from the church compared to the 130 million rand offered by the Muslim Community institution, he confirmed on air.

“To the critics who asked ‘why didn’t you introduce housing to the sale?’ Part of the development proposal by this Muslim Community institution is affordable accommodation on the site. Now let’s hope they do have the finances to do it,” he said.

Auction

In April it was reported that the City of Cape Town said no fixed completion date has been set as it continues to scrutinise the winning bid for the Good Hope Centre to ensure it meets strict legal, financial and heritage requirements, with the process currently underway due to its complexity.

The auction of the landmark Good Hope Centre took place on Thursday 26 February, with the Claremart Group, appointed by the City of Cape Town, securing a sale of R135 million.

The public auction featured over 50 City-owned properties for sale and leasing.

In spite of recent protests from land activists, the auction of the landmark Good Hope Centre moved ahead on Thursday 26 February, with the Claremart Group, appointed by the City of Cape Town, securing a sale of R135 million.

A day later (27 February), The SPIRIT Revelation Ecclesia, also known as New World Faith Ministries church, based in Maitland, claimed to have purchased the Good Hope Centre.

On Tuesday 24 February, the Oedasoa Cochoqua Royal Kingdom, a Khoi-San group, and a collective of land activists filed an urgent application in the Western Cape High Court to halt the planned auction of 50 City of Cape Town properties, including the Good Hope Centre.

The application was however dismissed by the court.

In March, Pastor John Anosike, leader of the SPIRIT Revelation Ecclesia, also known as New World Faith Ministries church, based in Maitland, announced to his congregation that they bought the iconic facility.

But the application was dismissed by the court.

Heritage

Joseph Noel, Senior High Commissioner of the Royal Kingdom, told People’s Post the group owns a vast tract of land across the Western and Northern Cape. The land includes the Good Hope Centre site.

Joseph said the disposal of land within ancestral territory without structured Indigenous engagement raises serious constitutional concerns.

Joseph stressed that they are not opposing development but want constitutional inclusion and meaningful participation in decisions affecting ancestral lands.

“We remain open to cooperative engagement and negotiated solutions. At the same time, as custodians of our community’s historical interests, we reserve all rights available to us in law,” he explained.

The auction bids are now subject to the post-auction review that the City must follow as part of the due legislative processes.

The City said in a statement all qualifying bids received will in due course be presented to the Immovable Property Adjudication Committee and, where applicable, Council for a final approval.

This means the results of the auction, including the accepted offers and winning bidders, will be confirmed at a later stage once due legislative processes have been concluded.

“Once auction results are finalised, any development on the Good Hope Centre precinct will be subject to the City’s full planning and land use framework. This includes compliance with all the applicable zoning provisions, development parameters and – where required – public participation processes,” read the statement.

The successful bidder will also be obligated to comply with the Phase 1 Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) guidelines, with the Heritage Western Cape (HWC) Record of Decision (RoD) forming part of the sale terms.

Ash Müller, property media professional, previously told People’s Post the Good Hope Centre has Grade 3B heritage status, meaning it has confirmed heritage value, and certain elements must be protected.

“Developers cannot demolish or fundamentally alter the iconic features that define the Good Hope Centre, such as the domed exhibition hall. Key architectural features must remain intact. Any changes to the building must respect the original character.”

ALSO READ: Church claims purchase of Good Hope Centre after R135m City auction | People’s Post