‘SA farm for friends’

LAND REFORM ‘ABUSE’: LUTHULI HOUSE STAFFER MANAGING R97M FARM

Beneficiary has no farming experience but minister was at his wedding – DA.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is to ask Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane to investigate Rural Development and Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti for allegedly facilitating a land deal “for his close friends without following required procedures”.

DA spokesperson Thomas Walters said yesterday: “Media reports yesterday detail how Nkwinti acknowledged being accused of allegedly receiving R2 million for brokering a lease deal for Bekendvlei Farm, bought for R97 million by the department and handed over to long-time Luthuli House employee Errol Velile Present and his partner, businessman Moses Boshomane, to manage.

“Present and Boshomane had no ancestral claim to the farm, had no business plan, did not appear on the department’s database of possible land beneficiaries, and had no agricultural experience, but Nkwinti was a guest speaker at Present’s wedding.

“The deal was seemingly pushed through and bypassed proper procedure.”

The details of Nkwinti’s role in the deal were apparently contained in a report, based on a forensic investigation by Deloitte, which recommended that he be charged with possible corruption.

“This report must be made public ...

South Africans deserve to know how the land reform programme is being abused for political purposes,” Walters said. –