BALDWIN NDABA
The sheriff of the court has attached several household items belonging to former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa.
In an early morning raid on Shilowa’s Roodepoort property, the sheriff of the Roodepoort court removed a fridge, a washing machine, two lounge suites, two wall units and several other items and loaded them onto a truck.
The items will be sold to pay legal costs arising out of Shilowa and Mosiuoa Lekota’s court battle for the leadership of Cope.
The sheriff is expected to sell the items to recover an amount of R72 000 in legal costs suffered by Lekota when he lodged a successful court action against Shilowa in the Johannesburg High Court.
Last year, Lekota successfully petitioned the Johannesburg High Court to prevent Shilowa from referring to himself as the president of Cope. The court ruled in his favour and ordered Shilowa to pay legal costs.
Shilowa appealed against the ruling but failed to meet the deadline for his appeal. When he failed to do so, Lekota made a successful application for the attachment of Shilowa’s movable goods to recoup his legal costs.
The issue of Cope’s presidency is yet to be settled in the Johannesburg High Court.
Yesterday, the sheriff’s team had to use a stepladder to climb over the high wall and electric fence of Shilowa’s house in Constantia Kloof.
The court officials had initially tried to persuade Shilowa’s domestic worker to open the main gate for them, but she refused, saying she was not made aware of their arrival. Shilowa was inside the house at the time.
His wife Wendy Luhabe was not home and is said to be visiting family in the Eastern Cape.
Once on the property, the team managed to enter the house through the garage, where the gardener was working. Inside, the group got involved in an argument with the domestic worker, which was settled by Shilowa.
“He came down to talk to the guys. They had a lengthy discussion and ultimately he (Shilowa) agreed that they should remove the items.
“They removed a fridge, a washing machine, and two lounge suites as well as two wall units and other items.
“They loaded all the items into a truck,” the domestic worker, who did not want to be named, said.
Last night, Shilowa referred queries to his spokesman Sipho Ngwema, who confirmed the attachment, but said none of the goods removed belonged to Shilowa but rather to his family. He said that the costs had been settled by Shilowa’s Cope and the goods would be returned.