On Thursday, residents will march to the Dawie Kruiper Municipal offices to ensure Sakkie Se Arkie, a well-known riverboat, remains operational. This as the five-year lease agreement between the owner of the boat, Sakkie Spangenberg, and the local municipality has come to an end on the back of a court battle between the two parties over the sale of the property.

A member of the Save Sakkie Se Arkie Action Group, Marike van As, told OFM News the 21-year-old riverboat, built by Spangenberg, is an important feature on Upington’s tourism scene.

She says while the focus has been placed on the riverboat alone, other local canoe clubs, that also operate from the property in question, will also suffer, should the municipality get its way. Van As says Sakkie se Arkie has become synonymous with Upington.
 
At the heart of the mass demonstration lies a court battle between the municipality, Upington Hotel Pty Ltd and Oranje Watersport – owned by Spangenberg - over the property from which the boat operates. According to information, Spangenberg had been leasing the property in question from the municipality over five year periods. In late 2015, the municipality decided to sell the property, with the intention of developing the area further. 

The tender was subsequently awarded to Upington Hotel Pty Ltd. Spangenberg is said to have approached the Northern Cape High Court, calling into question the tender procedures followed. All this while the date of his latest lease agreement expired end of June 2018.
 
Van As says the march will begin at 13:00 pm, from the riverboat’s location and will head to the municipal offices, where a petition will be handed over to officials.

OFM News