Former ActionSA MMCs in the City of Tshwane have been accused of meddling in a land acquisition deal involving five properties in Kameeldrift 298-JR, which the municipality wanted to purchase for R2.5 million.
The implicated former MMCs, Andre le Roux (Economic Development and Spatial Planning) and Kgosietsile Kgosiemang (Human Settlements), are alleged to have had a secret meeting with land sellers and escalated the property price from R2.5 million to R3 million behind the backs of municipal officials.
The pair are implicated in a letter written to municipal group head of human settlements, Nonto Memela, by property department group head Verusha Morgan.
Yesterday, the EFF pressed charges of fraud against the two at the Brooklyn police station, furnishing the police with a copy of the letter.
EFF regional leader Obakeng Ramabodu said: “To our surprise, they even went to the extent of having a secret meeting with the buyer of the property, who reported to the department the two MMCs told him the property is no longer R2.5 million but R3 million.”
He accused the pair of conniving behind the back of municipal officials to raise the price for a piece of property.
“ActionSA has referred the incident to the Speaker of the Tshwane council, who may cover up the crime to achieve political ends. However, Tshwane EFF, given the seriousness of the allegation, is of the view that only police have the capacity to investigate this.”
In the letter, Morgan said her department obtained independent market valuations on some properties as part of strengthening the City’s negotiation processes. According to the letter, the two departments met to discuss progress on these acquisitions on February 3.
“In this engagement … number of key decisions were taken, intended to fast-track and conclude the transactions.”
The letter further said “parallel to the ongoing acquisition process, MMC Kgosiemang and MMC le Roux allegedly met the sellers and … a discussion seems to have included consensus on the purchase prices”.
“Arising from these meetings, group property received correspondence from one of the sellers, stating: ‘After discussing with my neighbour (the other property you are also interested in) and the MMCs of Housing and Spatial Development, I believe a fair price for all the parties concerned is R3 million’. The seller sought to establish whether the City is willing to pay this price,” Morgan wrote.
Ramabodu said: “The group property department facilitated a process of determining a price for the property at R2.5 million. The two MMCs from ActionSA connived behind the backs of the officials and raised the price of the property to R3 million. It is clear that the corrupt ‘actioneers’ wanted to pocket around R500 000 for themselves.”
The two former MMCs were contacted for comment, but by deadline they were yet to respond.
Pretoria News