Despite lacking proper registration, a guesthouse at 29 Kock Street continues to operate openly; listed on Booking.com and promoted across various online platforms. This article investigates the ongoing contravention and its implications for the Potchefstroom community.

Ongoing Construction, Notices and No Response

We were made aware of this facility, advertised as Potch Guest House, by Ward 15  Councillor, Madra de Bruin, after they had contacted the JB Marks Municipality and sent a formal letter on the 24th of November 2024 already, but had received no response whatsoever. Having heard nothing still, we reached out to Councillor Swarts regarding this matter.

The Communications Department replied to our query about this serious issue, where they informed us that

When asked whether any action had been taken by the owner, we received no response to this day. 

Community Letter, No Proof of compliance

The letter, composed and compiled by various members of the community alongside Councillor de Bruin, was handed over to the JB Marks Municipality on the 24th of November 2024. This letter was addressed to the office of the Speaker, the office of the Municipal Manager, and the office of the Executive Mayor.

This letter states that the guesthouse has been operating as such without any formal application, approval, or input from the ward committee - as required by law. Before registering and operating as any company and/or business, there are certain boxes that need to be checked across the board. The participating ward members requested proof of zoning compliance, evidence of approved applications, sewerage capacity study, and a traffic impact study in the letter to Mr. Melamu, to no avail.

The guesthouse is situated on the corner of Kock and Smit Street, and due to there being no traffic impact study, there is nearly a collision every day, as The High School for Girls Potchefstroom is right across the street as well. 

Booking.com might just be as guilty

We headed over to Booking.com to take a look at this establishment and we were shocked for two reasons: 

1. How did this establishment manage to register on this platform?

2. How is this guesthouse still operating?

There are certain requirements needed before an individual can register an establishment on Booking.com, the first being legal compliance. It clearly states that “the accommodation must be registered with relevant tax authorities and comply with all permits, licenses, and other governmental authorizations”.

So how did this guesthouse manage to either evade these requirements or falsify the documents? In a country where fraud is at the order of the day, it’s not hard to imagine how the owners managed these ‘loopholes’. 

100% Real reviews

The reviews of Potch Guest House are not great either. Although there were some guests who praised the establishment, the majority had very bad experiences and didn’t shy away from sharing their experiences and warning other potential guests.

Some guests even went so far as to suggest that they be closed down. Perhaps it shouldn’t have been opened in the first place. The owners and/or management team are very passive aggressive when it comes to replying to these reviews, even though Booking.com prides itself on “100% real reviews”. A picture is worth a thousand words, yet we are left speechless after reading only a few reviews and taking a look at the photos that real guests posted and shared on this booking platform.

It seems that the guesthouse is still operating, despite the horrendous reviews and cries from the community. Apart from all the legalities, the building is also an eyesore,

This is an ongoing story, as Councillor Madra keeps on following up with Councillor Swarts and relevant parties, but is left with nothing but radio silence. 

We hope to update you with some positive feedback from the JB Marks Municipality with regards to Potch Guest House and its alleged illegal operations in the near future.

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Johané van Dyk - Potchefstroom

Photos and reviews of Potch Guest House