‘Trustees pocket R690 000 while ‘poor eat from rubbish dump’

Disenfranchised community turns to high court for relief

A future oceanographer scavenging for food, young girls turning to prostitution and youngsters giving themselves over to drugs are just a few examples of the lengths some Tsitiskamma residents, who live in the area’s most impoverished communities, are going to for survival.

It was to help these struggling communities that the Tsitsikamma Forest Village Trust was established in 1995, with the goal to uplift 13 remote forestry hamlets in the area, and it has received more than R30-million in royalties from Face Adrenalin – the company that runs the world’s highest bridge bungee at the Bloukrans Bridge – between 1997 and 2018.

The trust also derives income from renting out tourism facilities at a 29ha rest area next to the Bloukrans bridge between Plettenberg Bay and Port Elizabeth.

But beneficiaries claim they have received little to no benefit and allege that most of the funds have gone into the pockets of the trustees appointed to serve these communities. High court application In an effort to change the situation, they have now turned to the Pretoria High Court.

Stanley Grootboom of the Coldstream Beneficiaries Forum said the trust deed stipulates that trustees should not receive any remuneration, but could claim for expenses reasonably incurred. He added that it is with the latter that most of the problems have arisen.

According to court papers, the trust has not held an AGM or produced audited financial statements for three years and according to the last audited statements in 2015, trustee expenses totalled just under R420 000 while beneficiary donations came in at less than R25 000. The documents also suggest that trustee expenses increased dramatically to about R690 000 for the 2016/17 period while donations barely increased to just under R33 000. It is alleged that one trustee submitted expenses for up to 70 meetings.

Grootboom said that among other irregularities are alleged unsecured, interestfree loans, without repayment periods having been approved. He said these loans ranged from R20 000 to more than R90 000 each. ‘No money for food’

The situation has become heartbreaking, he said. “Just to highlight one example, I came across a teenager on a rubbish dump the other day,” Grootboom said, adding that the boy told him he was looking for something to eat, Grootboom said.

The younster also told him his life story. “He is a bright young boy and had dreams of becoming an oceanographer. He had to drop out of school as there was no money for school fees. We have had community members apply for study support from the trust, but nothing has come of it.”

Another indication of the extreme poverty and high unemployment rate, he said, is the prevalence of young girls turning to prostitution. “Just drive through the area and you’ll see these young girls standing next to the N2.”

Grootboom said another major issue is drug abuse by youngsters to numb the challenges they face. “The court application is our last effort to change the situation.”

The applicants’ attorney Stuart Hiscox said the court application seeks to appoint new trustees and amend trust rules to prevent further abuse.

The trustees have not yet filed responding papers.

Trust chair Pastor Wilson Wogane did not respond to enquiries about the allegations before going to print.