Cape Town - The legal tussle over the future of the R5 billion Amazon-headquartered development at River Club continues, with lawyers acting for high commissioner Tauriq Jenkins, on behalf of the Goringhaicona Khoi Khoin Indigenous Traditional Council (GKKITC), asking the court to rescind a decision that ruled him an illegitimate leader.
In four affidavits, whistle-blowers detailed an alleged plot by the developer of the Liesbeek Leisure Properties Trust (LLPT), his associate and an attorney to overrule Jenkins as a legitimate leader.
This leadership position came into focus when the Western Cape High Court ruled against Jenkins’s authority to oppose the development on behalf of the council.
Jenkins yesterday called for the rescission of the high court finding, which would reinstate an interdict against the development.
He also wants a criminal investigation into the conduct of the accused, an investigation by the Legal Practice Council into the conduct of the attorney, and costs of the application
“The GKKITC has always objected to the development on the grounds of the heritage, environmental and spiritual significance of the land. Once the organisation’s legitimate leadership is reinstated, it promises to take up the fight once more.
“The whistle-blowers also provide clear evidence of falsified meeting registers and resolutions.
“With these fake documents, the developer – with the support of an attorney – was able to convince the courts that Tauriq Jenkins was not the legitimate leader of the GKKITC, thereby eliminating opposition to the Amazon development,” the Goringhaicona Council said in a statement.
The LLPT said it was opposing the application, arguing that it had no merit and was an abuse of the process.
It said issues relating to the governance of the GKKITC could be handled internally.
“The LLPT has no knowledge of any claims made by Jenkins and his associates.
“The developer has always acted professionally and ethically and with respect for all First Nations individual and groups’ own agency,” the LLPT said.
francesca.villette@inl.co.za