Cape Town - Despite the decrepit state of the 7-bedroomed Constantia mansion seized from the Gupta family in 2018, former EFF City councillor Mbulelo Dwane has said he is considering inviting the homeless of the area to occupy it.
Dwane claimed the home was bought using money stolen from South African taxpayers, therefore the people had a right to it.
He and a colleague visited the crumbling mansion, which is being sold for R20 million, on Wednesday, “to witness the state of this popular property ourselves”.
He posted on Facebook: “We must be honest to you comrades, had we got there and found the property in a proper state we would have occupied it by now.
“We’re still deeply thinking whether to occupy this property as it is and bring the homeless from the surrounding areas of Zone 9.”
The mansion, which the Guptas bought from English businessman Mark Thatcher, is being sold as a “fixerupper”.
The estate agent with the sole mandate for the property, Richard Huxham-Hardie, said although fixer-uppers could be daunting for some people, for others the idea was exciting.
“I think for anyone starting on doing fixer-uppers, it’s a good idea to start small and work your way up. Obviously, anyone who's going to come and take on 10 Dawn Avenue needs to have experience and know what they’re doing.”
He said that although many foreign buyers, such as Europeans, just want to buy the finished product, he had noticed it was really people from South Africa who sought out fixer-uppers.
On the subject of fixer-upper properties in general, real estate company RE/MAX of Southern Africa chief executive Adrian Goslett said: “Those whose homes are in ill-repair face a complex decision when deciding whether to list as is or fix the property before it goes to market, especially within the current market where financial resources are under pressure.”
Goslett said sellers in this position would need to choose whether to spend the money on repairs or lose the money by setting a lower asking price.
