Macpherson and Meyer to challenge interdict halting KZN coastal lease handover
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Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson and KwaZulu-Natal MEC Martin Meyer say they will urgently challenge a court interdict obtained by Ray Nkonyeni Municipality that stopped the handover of leases for six coastal properties.
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson and KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Public Works and Infrastructure Martin Meyer said in a joint statement on Monday that they would urgently challenge a court interdict obtained by Ray Nkonyeni Municipality on the South Coast.
The interdict, filed on Sunday, halts the handover of leases for six coastal properties, mainly restaurants, between Port Shepstone and Port Edward. The handover had been scheduled to take place this week and the departments said it would have marked a step towards stimulating economic activity ahead of the peak festive season.
In May 2016 the national department entered into a Property Management Agreement with Ray Nkonyeni Municipality covering 15 coastal properties along the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, intended to protect public assets and ensure they contributed to local economic development. By early 2025, the departments said, serious concerns had emerged about the management of the properties.
Commercial tenants represented by the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa raised concerns about expired subleases, delays in lease renewals and a lack of security of tenure, while departmental inspections identified deteriorating facilities, abandoned premises and vandalism at several sites, including the Margate Amusement Park, Mariners Seafood Restaurant and Ice Cream Oasis.
In June 2025 the national department issued a notice terminating the 2016 agreement, citing the management concerns and tenants' grievances. The departments said the agreement allowed either party to terminate on at least 60 days' notice, which the department had given.
Macpherson and Meyer questioned the timing of the municipality's urgent application, saying the municipality had known about the intervention since May 2025 and that the matter had been tabled at an executive committee meeting chaired by the mayor in November 2025. They also expressed concern that the proceedings took place without the national and provincial departments having a proper opportunity to present their version of events, and said they would approach the court to place the full facts before it.