Watch: Estate agents on the rampage at property practitioners watchdog’s Sandton offices

Fists flew during a fracas at the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority’s (PPRA) offices in Sandton, when a handful of protesters barged in and demanded to speak to the entity’s board on Tuesday.

The estate agents, organised under the United Civil Society in Action and Property Sector Transformation Group, are demanding the reinstatement of the estate agents watchdog boss Mamodupi Mohlala.

She was put on precautionary suspension for pension irregularities in what the protesters have labelled as an anti-transformation agenda, as Mohlala was supposedly opening up the sector for black practitioners.

In response to a parliamentary question from DA Member of Parliament Emma Powell, Minister of Human Settlements Mmamoloko Kubayi revealed last week that a sub-committee of the new PPRA Board has been established to investigate serious allegations against the CEO.

The party said this was after a previously ordered forensic investigation into the affairs of the regulatory authority, with Kubayi’s deputy Pam Tshwete personally apologising to parliament for Mohlala’s conduct during a meeting of the Human Settlement’s Committee.

According to Powell, late last year the Pension Funds Adjudicator Tribunal found that Mohlala disregarded scheme rules when she allegedly instructed the PPRA’s human resources department to suspend the deduction of pension fund contributions for five new employees.

“Despite numerous attempts by the previous Board to enforce compliance, all communication with the human resources department of the entity was allegedly terminated by (Mohlala), who insisted that the matter be dealt with by her office,” she said.

Powell said in its finding, the Tribunal noted that Mohlala’s lack of regard for compliance with the rules of the fund was of serious concern and that she “perceives her role within the employer as including overriding the rules of the fund”

She said due to Mohlala’s conduct, the watchdog was ordered to pay all arrear contributions plus late payment interest backdated to July 2019, resulting in fruitless and wasteful expenditure in excess of R1 million.

In the firing line

The regulatory body said in a statement the board unanimously believes that it was in the best interest of the organisation to place Mohlala on suspension, to allow for an objective, independent, and impartial investigation into the allegations.

Mohlala was informed of the allegations against her, received from the Public Service Commission against her on Friday, and was given an opportunity to dispel the allegations.

‘Lies and trumped-up allegations’

But Tebogo Sethathu, United Civil Society in Action convenor, claimed that the new board had been captured by anti-transformation crusaders hell-bent on destabilising the entity to get rid of Mohlala.

“There is no basis for the suspension. No money has been lost. She is being accused of making irregular appointments to positions where she was not part of the interview panel. She is even said to be liable for a pension problem she did not cause, as this dates back to 2016,” he said.

Sethathu said these “lies and trumped-up allegations” could not stand and that it was a strange coincidence that Mohlala was suspended on the week the entity was holding public hearings into racism in the sector.

He was among the protesters who force their way into the PPRA offices, which led to a punch up, pushing and shoving with security guards before the group was ushered to the boardroom for a civil discussion.

The entity is yet to comment on the protesters’ grievances and demands to reinstate Mohlala. siphom@citizen.co.za