A few days after President Cyril Ramaphosa authorised the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to probe two dubious tenders awarded by the Kokstad Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, another whistleblower has made damning allegations of corruption against the same entity.
The whistleblower alleges that the municipality bought a farm known as Waaifontein to build RDP houses for the needy, but the farm allegedly ended up housing cattle belonging to a top ANC leader in the province.
African Times has decided to withhold the politician’s name until they are formally investigated or charged.
The whistleblower said he wrote to the Presidency to motivate Ramaphosa to widen the scope of the SIU probe to include the circumstances surrounding the purchase of the farm and its use.
The farm was bought from Russel Kathrine Jane for R9.5 million last year and allegedly started housing the said politician’s cattle immediately.
“A lot is happening in Kokstad, this SIU investigation is too narrow to clean the municipality. For example, last year, the municipality bought a farm to build RDP houses, but right now the farm has been divided into two, one portion is unused while the other portion is now keping cattle belonging to an ANC politician.
“What is worrying is that they do this in front of everyone, they no longer hide their corruption anymore. It’s like they are telling everyone that they are above the law,” the whistleblower told African Times.
African Times reached out to the municipality and its spokesperson, Zolani Siqwayi said plans are underway to attract potential investors to partner with the municipality to achieve the intended developmental objectives for the property.
Siqwayi said to guard against potential land grabs and having deserted areas, the municipality has inherited and is continuing with the existing lease agreement between the former owner and the lessee, thereby generating revenue.
He said they have no control of what the owner does with the farm and they have no knowledge that a top ANC politician is using the farm to keep his herd of cattle.
“The initial lease agreement with S&J Diaries, the Municipality, did not stipulate how they should conduct their business and who they should work with or accommodate on that land.
“As the municipality, all our operations are in line with the ambits of the law, and we ensure that stakeholders and individuals we are in partnership with are conducting business in a legal manner,” Siqwayi said.
