Fat cats raid agriculture of R100million for the high life

A R100-million taxpayer-financed empowerment fund meant for poor farmers has been used to bankroll the lavish lifestyles of politically connected fat cats - and no one seems interested in recovering the money. (from the Sunday Times)

Despite the fact that the limit for a grant per person is R430000, a Sunday Times investigation can reveal that:

• Dan Mofokeng, former Gauteng housing MEC and husband of ANC provincial legislature member Jacqueline Mofokeng, bought a Mercedes Benz CLS55 AMG for cash, and a R2-million luxury home in Six Fountains, near Pretoria, with money from the fund;
• Apart from this financing of his flashy lifestyle, Mofokeng is also the majority shareholder in a working farm project in Limpopo that received R6.5-million from the AgriBEE fund;
• Phil Mohlahlane, who was both head of the Agriculture Department section that approved AgriBEE project funding and acting CEO of the Land Bank when the disbursements were made, used money from the fund to pay cash for a R2.7-million home in Kyalami;
• The fund also paid for another R6.4-million farm in Limpopo, which was transferred to Mohlahlane's sister-in-law, Jessica Mojanaga;
• A Hazyview doctor received a R6-million grant to buy a 70% stake in a dairy farm that was worth only R660000, near Springs in Gauteng, and an employee of a consultancy that did work for the Land Bank received R3.5-million for a stake in an agricultural enterprise.

These people belong six feet under... prison will do for now... six feet under later....