Johannesburg – The Blyde Riverwalk Estate, an estate with a beach-like crystal clear lagoon in Pretoria is allegedly charging residents and guests R250 to access the lagoon.
A first of its kind in Southern Africa, this 1.5ha lagoon, complete with beach sand was created by Chilean company Crystal Lagoons, and is part of the development by Balwin Properties.
According to Thandeka Ngwena, the short-term letting representatives at Blyde Estate, home owners are in a bitter legal dispute with Balwin Properties, for what they say are unfair rules to force over 200 owners, who bought properties with the intention of renting them out for a short term basis.
In a statement released on Friday 17 September, they outlined all their grievances.
Nthato Raboshaga, a property analyst was part of the speakers on a Sunday Twitter space, called The Blyde: The People vs The Developer, gave insights on the issue that has caused residence so much frustration.
“The Blyde Estate has been alleged by owners who run Air BnB at the Blyde, that Balwin has changed the rules, when a guest comes, the owners must come & sign them in, Also, Balwin is building a Hotel to compete with the successful Air BnBs owners run,” said Raboshaga.
“There is a hotel being developed by Balwin now at the Blyde. What that means is that as an owner, that developer who sold you the property is now building another property that is directly competing with you. For clients. And that’s very important, and it’s vital. Because it would mean that the people who were going there and now a portion of them.”
Tensions with disgruntled residents, the police and private security got heated into the evening on Saturday.
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