AfriForum lays corruption charges after R176 million squandered in land transactions
7 October 2019
The civil rights organisation AfriForum laid charges at the SAPS today against the Tshwane Metro, Proco Management, Linked Thoughts Consulting and Faragamo Trading.
This follows Proco Management, Linked Thoughts Consulting and Faragamo Trading acting as go-between when three farms were sold to the Metro at prices significantly higher than their market value. According to the Strydfontein, Klipfontein and Roodepoort 504 title deeds, these so-called go-betweens owned the farms for a few minutes before selling them to the Tshwane Metro at millions more than the original purchase price.
“About R176 million from taxpayers’ money was squandered as a result of the alleged corrupt land transactions. It is unacceptable that no steps have been taken against the sellers of the senior officials involved in the transactions,” says Monique Taute, Head of AfriForum’s Anti-corruption Unit.
In the case of Strydfontein (which comprises 20 smallholdings), Proco Management paid the original owners R117 million in total. Tshwane sold all 20 smallholdings on the same day for R211 million, resulting in a profit of R94 million for Proco Management.