CAIRN – A community of beneficiaries of the Cairn Community Trust were up in arms outside Sijabulile Primary School on Monday morning demanding that the principal, Mr David Mabaso, who is also the chairperson of the board of trustees, provide answers on the finances of the trust.
The trust, that was established in 1999, has only had one elected board since inception. It is one of the many that have benefitted from the Land Restitution Act which seeks to return land to its original owners. When government bought the land for the trust, it had a lemon farm project which has since collapsed resulting in no income or revenue.
In 2011 Eskom purchased portion of the farm through Rooth and Wessels Attorneys to extend its substation located on the farm. Documents seen by Mpumalanga News show that R1,8 million was paid to Musa Caiphus Mabunda Attorneys on behalf of the trust, after communicating with Mabaso.
According to a board member of the trustees, Mr Steven Nyasenga, the money was meant to be distributed among beneficiaries who are yet to get the slice of the cake.
“We have not held any annual general meetings and we have not received any financial statement with regard to the trust. None of the beneficiaries are benefitting from it and we want to know what is happening,” he said.
Currently, the board sits with a summons from the Crocodile River Irrigation Board demanding that a debt of R15 000 be paid. Seemingly, nothing is being done about it, as none of the beneficiaries or board of trustees have any knowledge about or control over the finances of the trust.
“There are bank statements to show the money is available. The beneficiaries would have long received the money, all they have to do is submit the list of names,” said Mabunda.
Mabaso, who was not available at the school during the protest, said that he no longer has interest in the trust and did not regard himself as its chairperson.
“Those people know where the money is and they should go there, not to me,” he added.
