Times Of Swaziland: KOBE ACADEMY BACK ON MARKET FOR E45M

KOBE ACADEMY BACK ON MARKET FOR E45M
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BY WELCOME DLAMINI on 31/03/2019 00:45:00


welcome@times.co.sz
MBABANE – Philanthropist and businessman of note Geoff Modise Ramokgadi has
again put his prestigious Kobe Ramokgadi Advanced Learning Academy up for sale.
This is the second time that the businessman looks to dispose of one of his most
prized assets after having first indicated intention to sell the
Ezulwini-situated school in 2017. Ramokgadi is also the President of the
Eswatini Jewish community, Vice President of the African Jewish Congress and
owner of Xanadu Boutiques.
On Thursday, Ramokgadi, during an interview with the Times SUNDAY, indicated
that he may have already committed to selling the school to unnamed people from
outside Eswatini.
“There are some people who are interested in buying the school. Actually, we
have signed an agreement though my heart still bleeds because I still want this
school to be bought by emaSwati. The people who want to buy the school are from
overseas but I can’t reveal them for now. But my heart still wishes it would
go to emaSwati because you have always prayed with me for the school to be where
it is today,” the South Africa-born local entrepreneur said.
He revealed that he was in the process of building a primary school that will
act as a feeder institution to the academy, which is a high school.
Ramokgadi said he had to build the primary school because of the pressure
brought on him by the local community who do not want their children to be
traveling to faraway places for their education as that exposed them to
accidents. “We will start with six grades, beginning in grade I. This is a
huge investment because I love this country,” he stated.
Wants total buyout
He clarified that those that would buy the school would have to buy him out
totally and he would not even be a part shareholder. He said this was because he
needed to concentrate on his other commitments within the Jewish Council.
“The asking price is between E40 million to E45 million and this is for
everything. And this is Title deed land. I could ask for more but I am not a
money-driven person,” he said.
He stated that the school presently had 380 pupils. When Ramokgadi first punted
selling the school in 2017, he put the figure at around E50 million and at that
time, he was involved in a tussle with government over his work permit.
E5m lawsuit against govt
He felt he had been greatly humiliated by the police and officials from the
Ministry of Home Affairs and there is presently a pending court case where he is
demanding E5 million from government for what happened.
The Home Affairs officials and the police officers allegedly harassed and
ill-treated the businessman whom they accused of being an illegal immigrant in
the country. The E5 million he is demanding is in respect of unlawful and
malicious conduct of the Home Affairs officials and the police; motional shock;
and psychological trauma.
In his particulars of claim, Ramokgadi stated that on July 26, 2018 he was
wrongfully and unlawfully arrested by approximately 10 police officers who were
accompanied by immigration officers.
He said the arrest took place at Kobe Ramokgadi Advanced Learning Academy during
the day and in full view of 370 students at the school and 43 members of the
school staff, a number of parents and passersby.  He alleged that at the police
station, he was also coerced to pay an admission of guilt fine in the sum of
E500 in order to gain liberty.
Ramokgadi said in the course of the alleged unlawful detention, his fingerprints
were unlawfully captured for police criminal records and that this happened
without him having been taken through trial or being found guilty of committing
any crime. He claimed that this affected him in his business endeavours and his
personal life.