The problem was the land wasn’t suitable for housing.
FILE: Home Affairs committee chairperson Bongani Bongo. Picture: GCIS.
JOHANNESBURG – Papers filed in the Nelspruit Magistrates Court outline how exactly African National Congress (ANC) MP Bongani Bongo and his co-accused allegedly spent money allocated to buy land for housing.
The problem was the land wasn’t suitable for housing.
It’s alleged the accused then wove an intricate web to pocket some of the money.
Eleven people and four companies have been charged with 69 counts of fraud, theft, money laundering and contravention of the Public Finance Management Act.
They’ve all been granted bail of R10,000 each.
Papers filed in the Nelspruit Magistrates Court show an intricate web of looting by the 15 individuals and companies.
The State said they exploited the purchase of land by government and used law firms to misrepresent facts to the national Department of Human Settlements on the true ownership, prices and use of the land.
In one transaction the department paid R52 million to Singwane Attorneys, which was acting as conveyancers and was now for one of the accused.
The law firm gave landowners Freemax Farms a guarantee of R15 million and the property was transferred to another accused Bongiveli which became the owner of the land, at least on paper.
Then Bongiveli sold the land to the department for R32 million.
Not only did Bongiveli sell land that didn’t belong to it, but the land was not even suitable for housing so it could never be used for that purpose.
Each of the players allegedly received kickbacks or a portion of the stolen money, including ANC Bongo’s brother, Joel, who allegedly received several payments of R300,000 as deposits to buy cars.
