Mailbox: Urgent confidential tip-off – Misconduct by JSE-listed REIT Company affecting small businesses
Key topics:
JSE-listed REIT hid mall boycott from small business leases
Company lacked legal municipal approvals to operate the mall
Whistleblower alleges fraud, ethical breaches, and legal violations
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Sent in anonymously
Dear Editor/Investigative Team,
I am contacting you anonymously to share critical information regarding a JSE-listed property group that is engaging in conduct which I believe constitutes material misrepresentation, ethical breaches, regulatory non-compliance, and legal violations — with serious consequences for small businesses, the public, and investor confidence.
This matter is not speculative – it is already before the courts, with a hearing scheduled for 4 September 2025.
This company owns a major retail mall which was, at the time (and still is), already under active public boycott. Despite this, they proceeded to offer new lease agreements to small business tenants without disclosing the boycott or its impact on mall foot traffic and public sentiment.
In addition, the mall does not have the necessary compliance paperwork or required operational permissions from the local municipality, raising serious questions about the legality of its ongoing operations and the company’s adherence to statutory obligations.
Tenants — myself included — entered into long-term commercial leases under the assumption of normal operating conditions. In reality, we were being set up to fail. The deliberate omission of the boycott and the failure to disclose non-compliance with municipal requirements represent serious breaches of corporate responsibility and, I believe, violations of fiduciary duty, the Consumer Protection Act, and applicable municipal and building regulations. It also raises questions about the company’s reporting integrity as a listed entity.
Instead of resolving the issue in good faith, the company and its legal representatives have responded with:
- Legal obstruction,
- Refusal to address the substance of tenant concerns, and
- Manipulation of procedural technicalities to avoid accountability.
I am in possession of substantial proof, including:
- Leases and correspondence,
- Voice recordings,
- Legal letters, and
- Documents that show a clear pattern of deception, regulatory breaches, and corporate misconduct.
I am requesting a face-to-face, off-the-record meeting with an investigative journalist from your team to present the evidence. Anonymity is critical for my safety and future livelihood, and I trust your team will respect and protect that.
This is not a personal grievance — it is a broader issue of corporate abuse, regulatory failure, and unethical conduct by a JSE-listed REIT company, targeting small, independent businesses who lack the power to fight back, and potentially putting the public at risk.
Please respond via return email to confirm if you're able to proceed under these terms.
Thank you for your time and for upholding the principles of public interest journalism.
Sincerely,
A Concerned Whistleblower