Dollar Table bar lease terminated
MELVILLE – Cool Running’s building owner terminated the process of issuing a lease to Sydney Moshapo who owned Dollar Table bar where Thulane Popoyi was brutally killed.
Lights burn bright in Melville as the Melville Business Association finds a common ground with landlords and business owners.
Clyde Terry, chairman of the Melville Business Association (MBA), on 5 December heard that Dollar Table had found a new home at the old Cool Running’s venue in Fourth Avenue in Melville.
Terry and Andrew Marais, chairman of the Melville Resident’s Association, organised a meeting with the building property owner Enrico who now resides in Plettenberg Bay.
According to Terry, Enrico was at first taken aback by the call but immediately afterwards said that he will fly up to Johannesburg. True to his word two days later he was in Johannesburg.
According to Terry, Enrico was surprised and had not heard of the murder of Thulane Popoyi at Dollar Table on 5 October.
“We were delighted to know that no lease had been entered into and that Enrico felt the same as we did about the situation. Enrico was in immediate contact with his lawyer to make sure that the situation could be saved.
Enrico told us that the owners of Dollar Table had traded without permission and with no legal rights. The letting agent was at the same time not aware of the situation having been introduced to the owner of Dollar Table through the previous tenant who had to find another tenant to get out of his lease agreement.”
According to Louro and Tiago Attorneys, who represent the building owner, “before signing any lease or agreeing to any letting terms, this tenant (Sydney Moshapo Dollar Table owner) managed to gain access to the property and store certain items of his in our client’s property.”
According to the attorneys, the building owner later found out about Moshapo’s business conduct and the Dollar Table murder.
“Our client is in agreement with this report and has instructed the letting agent to immediately give notice to the tenant to vacate the premises and to refund any sums which he may have given toward an ultimate lease agreement. Our client would rather have empty premises than a tenant who is going to conduct an inappropriate and illegal business which will lead to possible further reduction in the value of our client’s properties,” informed the attorneys in a letter to the MBA.
Terry said, “We as Melville Business believe that we need more landlords like Enrico who take a stand to make sure that we have the right tenants in Melville against financial gain and rental income. Enrico has proven that he is a great asset to Melville and all the years of Roma Pizzeria in Melville he proved that as well.
Ward 87 councillor Amanda Forsythe said, “I am delighted that the property owner took such a proactive approach and assisted the MRA and MBA so well. Unfortunately some other property owners have not shown the same good will when approached regarding serious problems with their tenants or buildings. The next step will be to do something about the buildings on the corner of 4th avenue and Main road, including the block of flats and Cool Runnings, that have been allowed to deteriorate severely over the last few years and attract all sorts of problems to the area.
“I believe that the issues of problem properties and liquor licences in Melville has to be tackled from different angles by different groups working in collaboration. I hope that this will be the first of many cooperative efforts between the MRA and MBA. I have already requested that both organisations assist me with a full audit of Melville businesses. We are meeting about this next week.”
