10 September 2007
A joint operation between the Gauteng Department of Housing's Anti Fraud and
Corruption Unit and the South African Police Service Crime Intelligence Unit
has resulted in the arrest of a senior City of Johannesburg official
responsible for housing.
The official, who is based at the Vlakfontein offices of the Housing
department, south of Johannesburg, will appear in the Vereeniging Regional
Court tomorrow.
The official who was arrested after an anonymous tip-off, is facing charges
of alleged extortion, fraud and corruption amounting to thousands of rand. It
is alleged that he was selling stands already allocated to beneficiaries for R1
000 per stand.
Gauteng Housing MEC, Nomvula Mokonyane has described the arrest as another
blow against fraud and corruption. "We want to send a strong warning to both
the public and those officials who engage in corrupt activities that we will
deal with them harshly," she said.
The MEC has also called on members of the public who have been defrauded by
the official to come forward with information which may assist in the
successful prosecution of the official.
The arrest of the official brings to four the number of officials arrested
for alleged corruption this year. Meanwhile an investigation by the Scorpions
into the Phatsima Housing Project in Mogale City on the West Rand is currently
underway. The investigation follows complaints that certain officials were
receiving bribes to assist beneficiaries to access houses.
For more information contact:
Aviva Manqa
Cell: 083 600 3830
Mandla Sidu
Cell: 083 602 6169
Issued by: Department of Housing, Gauteng Provincial Government
10 September 2007
