Eric Naki

Eric Naki

Gauteng's department of agriculture has been called to account for approving multimillion-rand developments at Ekurhuleni, Midrand and northwest Johannesburg.

Environmental groups have objected to the mushrooming developments and suggested that bribes might have been passed to ensure that sites were allocated to developers despite concerns about damaging the ecology of the areas.

Rika Kruger, the DA's conservation and environment spokesman in Gauteng, has asked Premier Mbhazima Shilowa to appoint a commission of inquiry into the approval of the developments by the department. She handed documents to Shilowa that purported to show instances where permission for developments was granted irregularly.

Kruger alleged that agriculture MEC, Khabisi Mosunkutu, had overruled his own officials in favour of rich developers, who had broken laws aimed at protecting ecologically sensitive areas.