Gayton celebrates as Nigerian pastor’s R135m Good Hope Centre bid falls through

Gayton McKenzie celebrated after what appears to be the collapse of a R135 million bid by Nigerian pastor John Anosike to buy the Good Hope Centre.

Mayor says highest bidder unable to pay

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis told a local radio station that the highest bidder’s offer of R135 million was off the table because the bidder did not “have the money that they said they had” and was “unable to pay for it”. The mayor did not name the bidder or their business entity in his comments.

The landmark site is now to be offered to the second-highest bidder, which the city said is an Islamic institution.

Gayton McKenzie reacts

On Facebook, Gayton McKenzie celebrated the development on the account of his political party, writing:

“We have been following this like a hawk, thank you to the PA lawyers”

and adding dancing emojis.

Earlier, McKenzie had voiced public opposition to the sale of the heritage site to a foreign national religious leader. In a Facebook Live he said:

“Over our dead bodies, here will be no Nigerian church. We are not taking arts and culture spaces and giving them to Nigerians. That will not happen.”

Pastor Anosike demands apology and answers

John Anosike issued a statement after Mayor Hill-Lewis’s comments and said he was blindsided. He demanded an apology, saying in the statement:

“Describing the church as a ‘Nigerian church’ is inaccurate and potentially harmful.

Anosike said such language “may portray the church and its congregation as foreign entities and may unnecessarily expose them to prejudice, hostility or targeted attacks” and called on city officials to meet with him urgently to discuss the status of his bid and the way forward. The pastor has permanent residency in South Africa.

Tensions and accusations

Anosike has previously accused Gayton McKenzie of promoting xenophobia about his bid. During a sermon at his church he said:

“Don’t touch me. One word will deplete your political party. You said over your dead body…Your political career has gone down. It’s dead. It’s dead”

City officials’ comments that the highest bidder could not pay have triggered both celebration and demands for clarification and apology from the parties involved.