Gardens man clashes with hotel group
A Gardens man claims a hotel group is pressuring him to sell his King Street home by making his life increasingly difficult.
Martin Fisher, 48, says he was accused of intimidation and served with a temporary protection order after he complained that the Upper Union restaurant's staff and delivery vehicles were causing disturbances in his road.
The restaurant, along with the nearby Cape Cadogan Boutique Hotel and the MORE Quarters Neighbourhood Hotel, belong to the MORE Family Collection, which owns and manages several luxury safari lodges, boutique hotels and residences around the country.
Mr Fisher showed the Atlantic Sun WhatsApp messages dating back to October 2023 that detail his concerns to the managers of the restaurant and the Cape Cadogan, which both back onto the cobblestone King Street onto which Mr Fisher's front door opens.
“I’ve had meetings with the managers, and they seemed concerned and said the complaints would be dealt with, but nothing has changed. I have videos and photos of how the vehicles park in front of my front door. There’s videos of the staff making a noise late at night, washing bins. It’s not right what they are doing. They are inconsiderate,” he said.
The situation escalated when an interim protection order was served on Mr Fisher for allegedly threatening Upper Union restaurant staff in August. According to court documents one Louis Pierre Gildenhuys applied for the order. It’s not clear what connection, if any, Mr Gildenhuys has with the hotel group.
The Atlantic Sun was unable to reach him for comment, and Mr Fisher says he only met him for the first time when he, together with another man who appeared to be carrying a gun, and two police officers arrived on his doorstep to deliver the protection order.
Mr Fisher, through his attorney, Barry Varkel, asserted that he had neither threatened Mr Gildenhuys nor any restaurant employee.
“On that day, I spoke to the chef of the restaurant, and I asked her that the delivery vans and cars not park in front of my front door. She was dismissive of my concerns, and I said I will break a bottle, which I did, but I did not threaten her or damage the vehicles.
“I lost my temper because they have no consideration. She said they have cameras so there is footage of this, and you can watch it and see I did not intimidate or hurt anyone,” Mr Fisher said.
He said the disruptions in his road had intensified after he had been served with the interim protection order.
“I’ve never seen this man (Gildenhuys) before, he and another man that seemed to have a gun on him, and two SAPS officers came to my front door to deliver this protection order. The cops said nothing, and I asked this man (Gildenhuys) who he was and what work he does for the hotel, and he said I must not worry about that.
“I believe that they (the hotel group) think this man and his actions, this protection order, would intimidate me. Maybe they are hoping I will sell and move, and that’s why they continue with this coercive tactics.”
Mr Varkel filed an affidavit, seen by the Atlantic Sun, stating that Mr Gildenhuys had misused the legal system to obtain the protection order without just cause, and, according to Mr Varkel, the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court in a ruling on November 5, declined to make the protection order final, revoked the temporary one and made a costs order in favour of Mr Fisher.
Mr Fisher said he suspected the MORE Family Collection wanted to buy his house, which is near holiday homes that the group owns, and real estate agents had contacted his mother, who does not live with him, to ask if he wanted to sell.
“I don’t know how they got my mother’s number, but they have called her to ask if I want to sell. I have been approached by various people that I believe have connections to this company, and I’ve said on more than one occasion that I don’t want to sell.”
The Atlantic Sun has made repeated efforts to contact the MORE Family Collection managers to give them an opportunity to comment. Emails sent on Friday last week to Sean Hall, who is listed as the general manager for both the Cape Cadogan Boutique Hotel and the MORE Quarters Neighbourhood Hotel, and Amore Burger, the head chef at Upper Union, went unanswered. In a call, on Tuesday, to Venessa Baillie, the hotel manager for the Cape Cadogan, she said she was busy and could not comment on the matter. Ms Burger also told us over the phone on Tuesday that she couldn’t speak to us, and Mr Hall told us over the phone that he hadn’t seen our email.
