A piece of land bought by the Modimolle-Mookgophong Municipality outside Vaalwater in Limpopo has set the tongues wagging between the EFF and ANC councillors.
ANC councillors suspect that an EFF councillor is leasing the land for grazing to livestock farmers to accrue benefits.
The EFF however says the accusations are baseless.
The 20 000 hectares was bought by the municipality from the previous owner towards the end of this year.
ANC councillors accuse the EFF councillor, William Monyela, of personally benefiting from the municipal land. The land was bought for around R1.2 million from the previous owner. It has been earmarked for municipal developments.
EFF Limpopo chairperson Jossey Buthane however refutes the allegations. Buthane says that Monyela had leased the land from the previous owner before it was sold to the municipality.
“The allegations against our councillor William Monyela are unfounded and not true, they are just a political ploy by the ANC mayoral candidate. They wanted to bring the matter to the council, the farmer has confirmed that the municipality completed the transfer of the farm in November this year but already our councillor was already out of that farm.”
ANC councillor, Rufus Mogoro, however, says they will table the matter to council to get more details.
“The EFF councillor was utilising the land, the property that belongs to the municipality for his personal gain. We are in a possession of the date when the property was purchased by the municipality the council will be discussing the issue going forward.”
The mayor of Modimolle-Mookgophong municipality, Marlene van Staden, says the land in question was bought in September this year. Van Staden says the process to transfer the piece of land to the municipality is still under way.
“We took a council resolution to purchase this land for the development of the new landfill and cemetery only in July 2020 and the municipality paid for this land in September 2021. The land is not registered on the name of the municipality yet.”
The previous landowner, Wiets Botes, has said that he has sold the land to the municipality. Prior to that, Botes had leased the land to Monyela on a three lease agreement.
Botes explains, “I sold the farm to the municipality and I think the transfer took place end of November somewhere in November. Monyela rented the land from me, what happened after the transfer took place I have no knowledge of what happened prior to me selling the farm to the municipality, Monyela was renting it from me.”
The land in Mabatlane, Vaalwater, has been earmarked for a municipal landfill site and a cemetery.
