South Africa: SIU Investigation Uncovers R58m Ekurhuleni Fraudulent Land Scheme

What the report says

The South African Special Investigating Unit says it has uncovered a R58 million fraudulent land scheme involving municipal land in Ekurhuleni, with the alleged transfers centered on 221 vacant stands in Villa Liza township near Boksburg. According to the SIU briefing reported by SAnews.gov.za and carried by AllAfrica, 208 of those stands were unlawfully transferred between 2018 and 2022 without council approval or valid authority, and the municipality says it did not receive any benefit.

The unit said the scheme relied on forged rates clearance certificates, fabricated powers of attorney and cash payments that made the money trail difficult to follow. It also alleged that a deceased person was used as an “agent” to identify and sell unallocated municipal land, while a conveyancing firm not on the municipality’s approved panel lodged false paperwork at the Johannesburg Deeds Office. The firm, Moki Attorneys Incorporated, and related trusts were said to have benefited from acquiring dozens of stands.

The SIU has referred the matter to the National Prosecuting Authority for possible criminal action and has obtained an interim interdict to stop the current owners or occupants from selling or developing the properties. It also plans to ask the Special Tribunal to overturn the transfers and recover losses. In addition, referrals have been made to the Legal Practice Council, the South African Revenue Service and the Financial Intelligence Centre.

The case matters because it involves alleged abuse of public land assets and possible failures in municipal controls, with the SIU saying the scheme deprived Ekurhuleni communities of land value and development opportunities.