Twenty-three erven (portions of land) allocated to the Mahikeng Local Municipality in the North West, have been returned to the Municipality.
The land was unlawfully transferred to a private developer unlawfully or without proper channels and the resolution of the council back in 2015.
The official handover of the land, as well as unfinished residential blocks and building materials was made by the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Advocate Andy Mothibi, including Economic Development MEC Bitsa Lenkopane on behalf of the premier Lazarus Mokgosi and Mahikeng local Municipality, Executive Mayor, Tshepiso Mphehlo.
This followed 11 years of legal challenges against the forfeiture of properties linked to the Marang Estate Development in Mahikeng by the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
NPA’s spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago told YOU FM Newshour that the handover was part of the authority’s ongoing efforts to ensure that assets derived from unlawful activities are recovered and redirected to the state for the benefit of communities and those affected.
“These properties were exchanged between the municipality and a group of people, whom we are not yet ready to reveal their identities and their companies because there are processes of dealing with criminal cases around them.
Somewhere in 2015 this exchange was done, where the land that was worth R144m was exchanged between the officials in the municipality and individuals who had the company.
They bought the land and thereafter liquidated the company and sold it at an auction where the same directors came back to buy the land for R16m and started building on it.
It was again sold to Marang; hence it is called Marang Estate Development,” said Kganyago.
Furthermore, Kganyago said that they’ll soon sign an agreement with the municipality and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that recovered properties are used fruitfully for the benefit of the community.
“The agreement will basically be binding to them (the Municipality) to say that we don’t want to be back here, and they must give us guarantees that the land will be unitised for what it is intended for,” remarked Kganyago.
The Hawks are still investigating the matter which is expected to be referred to the NPA for a final decision.
Meanwhile, delivering the keynote address on behalf of Mokgosi, Lenkopane indicated that the recovery of these assets “not only resolves years of frustration caused by stalled development and misused housing funds but also demonstrates the state’s firm commitment to protecting public resources.”
The MEC commended the coordinated work of the NPA, AFU, Hawks, and National Treasury in ensuring that the property is finally returned to its rightful custodians.
“Today we return what was taken, restore what was broken, and reaffirm that justice, even when delayed, will always be pursued in the name of our people,” said the MEC.
