Roodepoort tennis club threatens legal action as JPC delays lease renewal

Members of the Weltevreden Park Tennis Club in Roodepoort say they have been waiting more than 18 months for a lease renewal while investors remain on hold, and have threatened legal action if the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) does not proceed with an extension.

What happened and when

According to The Citizen, engagement between the Weltevreden Park Tennis Club and JPC began in November 2024. A meeting in February 2025 produced a written confirmation of the municipality’s intention to renew the lease, rather than a completed renewal, The Citizen reported.

Municipal correspondence and the process

The Citizen reports that a letter from JPC to the club stated:

“The City of Joburg Property Company (SOC) Ltd will commence with the lease extension process in terms of Section 116 (3) of the Municipal Finance Management Act 2003 (MFMA)”

and said a report would be submitted to council for approval and that JPC would obtain approval from the city’s Executive Adjudications Committee (EAC).

Communications shared with The Citizen show JPC sent a request for comment on the lease renewal to its roads, water, refuse, electricity and other sister entities in July. Another meeting in August outlined plans to upgrade the site into an international-grade padel, pickleball and tennis hub, The Citizen reported.

Support, setbacks and stalled talks

Ward 126 councillor David Brand sent confirmation of support for the proposed upgrades to both the club and JPC, The Citizen says. Brand later told The Citizen he had been relayed that the lease would go out to tender and described JPC’s actions as “nefarious”, according to The Citizen.

As reported by The Citizen, communication between the parties stalled between September 2025 and May 2026, with the exception of a February 2026 acknowledgement from JPC checking on progress.

JPC’s response

JPC told The Citizen the correspondence with the club was accurate but that the content did not amount to confirmation of a renewal. JPC spokesperson Lucky Sindane explained to The Citizen that the letter indicated JPC would seek approval from the EAC for a period of nine years, eleven months, but that there was no approval from the adjudication committee.

Sindane told The Citizen the report on the renewal was “currently in the city’s committee system en route to council for approval” and that JPC must comply with legislation, including the MFMA and City of Johannesburg supply-chain and asset-transfer rules. He also said the lease agreement did not provide for an extension and that JPC was required to follow the prescribed processes, according to The Citizen.

Club’s costs and legal threat

The Citizen reports the club received a municipal account in May for over R360,000, described as an internal billing matter. The club has spent hundreds of thousands of rand on architectural designs and related costs in anticipation of a lease renewal, The Citizen says.

A legal letter seen by The Citizen shows the club threatens to take legal action if JPC does not follow through with the extension. The Citizen reports the matter could be heard by council by the end of June.

Club demand

Members told The Citizen they are asking for fairness and for JPC and the City of Johannesburg to adhere to what was discussed in meetings and communications, The Citizen reported.