August 18, 2004

By Fatima Schroeder

A former official of the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning has told the Bellville Regional Court she was pressured and threatened into approving the controversial Roodefontein golf course development.

Ingrid Coetzee was director of environment management under then-MEC for Environmental Affairs and Development Planning David Malatsi and had the power to approve developments in the province.

"I felt like there was a gun being held to my head," she told the court.

In her evidence against Malatsi and former Western Cape premier Peter Marais, Coetzee said she was pressured to speed up the application and approve it.

When she refused, she was stripped of her authority.

While testifying she referred to notes she said she had taken meticulously during meetings and telephone conversations.

Marais and Malatsi have pleaded not guilty to charges of corruption. It is alleged they accepted R400 000 in donations to the New National Party from Italian billionaire Count Riccardo Agusta with the understanding that they would grant approval for the golf course development.

During her second day in the witness stand yesterday, Coetzee said her head of department Theo Tolmay had told her the developers had complained about delays in approving the application.

When Malatsi asked her whether it was possible to make a decision, she told him she could not make an informed decision at that stage because she had insufficient information.

She said she had tried her best to explain to him why the process took so long and that it was important to get sufficient information before making a decision.

Coetzee told the court of a meeting she attended later in Marais's office.

Among those present at the meeting, on April 17, 2002, were Tolmay, Marais, Malatsi and the development's project manager, Richard Browning.

Marais opened the meeting and said he was delighted about the development because it would create more jobs and would have a positive effect on tourism, Coetzee said.

She described his attitude as "upbeat, confident and cheerful" and added that Marais appeared to be "in charge of things".

Marais had then said: "This development is going to go through."

She had realised she was in a difficult position because she was expected not only to speed up the application, but to approve it, Coetzee said.

"I felt very pressured and very uncomfortable."

Coetzee said she had explained she was not prepared to make a decision based on the information she had. She was interrupted several times by those present and the atmosphere became more tense.

When the meeting closed, Marais said that the matter required a political decision and that Malatsi should make the decision.

"All I have heard from the department so far is poppy-cock," Marais said.

He said nothing was to stand in the way of the development and that he would take responsibility if any problems arose.

Malatsi said that a decision had to be made before the close of business that week.

After the meeting, Coetzee reiterated to Malatsi that she was not able to make a decision and felt her powers should be revoked.

She said she was disappointed that Tolmay had not supported her.

"I felt very alone," she said.

Two days later Tolmay's personal assistant contacted her to say "a positive record of decision" had to be with Malatsi's office by noon or her powers would be withdrawn.

She spoke to Tolmay about the call, who told her to speak to Malatsi.

But she couldn't get hold of Malatsi.

She left a message with his secretary saying she was not prepared to make a decision and understood that her powers would be withdrawn.

Later, she put this in writing and faxed the letter to Malatsi's office.

In her letter she asked Malatsi whether her powers would be withdrawn for all applications or only in relation to the Roodefontein development and whether the decision affected her performance contract.

She also asked for reasons.

Malatsi later indicated that he alone would exercise such powers and would not delegate them to someone else, the court heard.

Days later, Coetzee received a formal letter from Malatsi's office saying that she no longer had any power to authorise applications.

The trial continues.