ANCYL pushes Limpopo premier to release Tubatse land deal report

The ANC Youth League is calling on Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha to release the findings of forensic investigations into the controversial R116 million Tubatse land deal in which government land was sold for a pittance and bought back for more than 10 times as much.

The land was allegedly sold to a private developer by the Greater Tubatse municipality, which encompasses Burgersfort, Steelpoort and several mining towns, for R8 million. Later, it was sold to the department of cooperative governance, human settlement and traditional affairs for R116 million.

“Our demand is that the provincial administration must release all outstanding reports on the alleged corruption in Limpopo provincial departments,” said ANC Youth League provincial secretary Che Selane.

“One critical one is the land deal in Tubatse. The report on the sale of the land in Tubatse municipality must be released because the public purse was involved.”

Selane said the league could not allow the department to withhold the report any longer because people wanted to know how their money had been spent.

“The ANC does not subscribe to corruption,” he added.

According to a leaked report by the auditor-general, the land at the centre of the controversy is Farm Mooifontein 313KT, Tubatse Township extension 54, 68, 71 and 72.

The farm was purchased on October 20, 2015 in Burgersfort in the Sekhukhune region. The report further indicated that the department grossly overspent on the land.

In light of this, the auditor-general demanded an explanation from the department.

The department was still under MEC Makoma Makhurupetje at the time, who immediately reported the findings to former treasury MEC Rob Tooley, the office of the premier and law enforcement agencies for investigation.

Four senior officials who worked on the deal were later suspended, pending investigations.

The report has, however, been gathering dust in the offices of cooperative governance, human settlement and traditional affairs since the completion of investigations early this year.

The Democratic Alliance has also called for the premier to make the report public.

Kenny Mathivha, who is Mathabatha’s spokesperson and acting Limpopo provincial government spokesperson, said: “The youth league of the ANC works with Mathabatha in the same office at Frans Mohlala House in Polokwane.

“If they want answers, it is only relevant to ask Mathabatha during their meetings and not through the media.”

– alexm@citizen.co.za

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