CERTAIN Morebene Communal Property Association executive members have been accused of siphoning off money into their own companies, leaving the 15 farms returned to the Ratsaka community in Soekmekaar, Limpopo, fallow.
Documents in Sowetan's possession show that the association's secretary, Dominick Makwela, deputy chairman Frans Ratsaka and treasurer MH Mphelo had separately entered into rental agreements covering certain farms without the community's knowledge.
About 500 members of the Ratsaka community, under the banner of the Morebene beneficiaries committee, protested on Sunday, demanding that the association be disbanded.
The farms were returned to the Ratsaka community in 2005 as part of the land restitution programme at a cost of R52-million. The farms once thrived, with potatoes, maize, cattle and poultry farming. Now, certain portions have been turned into informal businesses and squatter camps.
A businessman, whose name cannot be disclosed at this stage, stated in a sworn affidavit that Makwela had instructed him to pay the rent of one of the portions of the farms to Makwela.
According to the affidavit Makwela started collecting rent from 2008 to January this year.
But Makwela yesterday denied the allegations, saying he had leased one of the farms from the CPA, then leased a portion to the businessman .
Mphelo and Ratsaka are also accused of diverting rental funds from a smelter company to a company called Ntsware Botse Project. From 2008, this company was told in writing to pay the rent into its FNB account in Louis Trichardt. Mphelo and Ratsaka refused to comment.
Morebene's committee chairman , Max Ramabe, said there was no record that Makwela had leased a farm from the CPA. There was also no record that he was paying rent into the CPA's account, he said.
Makwela denied that the CPA had failed to produce audited financial statements and that equipment had been removed from the farms.
"The committee is interfering in issues they don't understand," Makwela said.
'Clique milks 15 returned farms'
CERTAIN Morebene Communal Property Association executive members have been accused of siphoning off money into their own companies, leaving the 15 farms returned to the Ratsaka community in Soekmekaar, Limpopo, fallow.
Documents in Sowetan's possession show that the association's secretary, Dominick Makwela, deputy chairman Frans Ratsaka and treasurer MH Mphelo had separately entered into rental agreements covering certain farms without the community's knowledge.
About 500 members of the Ratsaka community, under the banner of the Morebene beneficiaries committee, protested on Sunday, demanding that the association be disbanded.
The farms were returned to the Ratsaka community in 2005 as part of the land restitution programme at a cost of R52-million. The farms once thrived, with potatoes, maize, cattle and poultry farming. Now, certain portions have been turned into informal businesses and squatter camps.
A businessman, whose name cannot be disclosed at this stage, stated in a sworn affidavit that Makwela had instructed him to pay the rent of one of the portions of the farms to Makwela.
According to the affidavit Makwela started collecting rent from 2008 to January this year.
But Makwela yesterday denied the allegations, saying he had leased one of the farms from the CPA, then leased a portion to the businessman .
Mphelo and Ratsaka are also accused of diverting rental funds from a smelter company to a company called Ntsware Botse Project. From 2008, this company was told in writing to pay the rent into its FNB account in Louis Trichardt. Mphelo and Ratsaka refused to comment.
Morebene's committee chairman , Max Ramabe, said there was no record that Makwela had leased a farm from the CPA. There was also no record that he was paying rent into the CPA's account, he said.
Makwela denied that the CPA had failed to produce audited financial statements and that equipment had been removed from the farms.
"The committee is interfering in issues they don't understand," Makwela said.
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