STEPHAN HOFSTATTER

Contributing Editor

FORMER Gauteng housing minister Dan Mofokeng is the latest prominent figure allegedly linked to a property transaction paid for by the R100m AgriBEE fund, which is under investigation.

Mofokeng, who retired from politics several years ago, is married to Gauteng’s community safety committee chairwoman, Jacqueline Mofokeng.

The AgriBEE fund was set up by the agriculture department to support resettled black farmers. Payments were disbursed for projects from a special account in the Land Bank until they were frozen following a forensic audit last year.

Land Bank CEO Phakamani Hadebe confirmed last week that all AgriBEE cases had been investigated by private detectives and some had been referred to the police’s Serious Economic Offences unit.

Last week, Business Day reported that allegations were mounting that former Land Bank boss Phil Mohlahlane had siphoned money from the AgriBEE fund he controlled.

The Department of Agriculture has refused to comment on speculation that Mohlahlane’s dismissal in December as deputy director-general of agriculture was linked to the forensic audit of the fund.

Documents seen by Business Day show that in at least one case AgriBEE funds were channelled via the trust account of Matuba Maponya Attorneys in Polokwane to pay for a luxury property in Mohlahlane’s name in Saddlebrooks Estate, Gauteng.

New documents obtained by Business Day show that Mofokeng is linked to the AgriBEE fund through another property transaction.

Mofokeng is a close associate of Mohlahlane’s. The two were in regular contact when AgriBEE project funding under the former Land Bank boss’s control was being disbursed, documents show. This was confirmed by several government sources.

The documents show Matuba Maponya Attorneys deposited R5,3m in a Pretoria conveyancer’s account in May 2008 on behalf of a company called Circle Way Trading 167 for the purchase of the farm Droogtekloof, in Limpopo.

Mofokeng signed the sale agreement as sole director of Circle Way, which became the registered owner of the property, company registration documents and deeds records show.

SJ Coetzee conveyancers confirmed it received two cash deposits in May totalling R5,3m from Matuba Maponya Attorneys on Mofokeng’s behalf for the purchase of Droogtekloof.

The department declined to explain why its AgriBEE funds were allegedly being used to bankroll a property bought by Mofokeng’s company.

Jacqueline Mofokeng referred queries about her husband’s business interests to Mofokeng. He did not return several calls or reply to detailed e-mailed questions.

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Source: Business Day