One of the farmers linked to the R74m land deal is expected to testify in court against former state security minister Adv Bongani Bongo today.
The man owns the farm in Ermelo, Mpumalanga, which the provincial department of agriculture bought in 2011 for R36,4m on behalf of Msukaligwa municipality. The farm was allegedly valued at R11,9m and the state alleges that Bongo and his co-accused colluded to inflate the price when the farm was sold to the state. Another owned by Petrus van Tonder in Emalahleni was sold to the same department for R37,5m when in fact Van Tonder had asked for R17,5m.
Bongo, his ex-wife Sandile Nkosi, Robert Burwise, Patrick Donald Chirwa, Herrington Dlamini, Blessing Mduduzi Singwane, David Boy Dube (former HOD), Vusi Willem Magagula, Bongani Louis Henry Sibiya, Elmon Lawrence Mdaka and Sibongile Mercy Mdaka are accused of fraud, theft and money laundering pertaining to the inflating of prices during the sale of the two farms to the state. Their case is currently on trial in the Mbombela commercial crimes court.
When the crime was committed Bongo was the legal adviser of the department and the state alleges he advised the department to get services of one of the accused who is a conveyancer.
The farmer who is expected to be a state witness today was initially expected to be in court on Thursday last week but could not make it after he went for an operation.
On Friday last week former chairperson of the land acquisition committee in the Mpumalanga department of human settlements Peter Nyoni told the court that Bongo had forged his signature in a
a letter recommending that scope of work and contract on a company co-owned by Singwane be extended. However Nyoni disowned the letter and its signature citing that Bongo drafted and signed it.
“This is a letter written ‘the request to extend contract and extension of scope for the work of conveyance for Emalahleni and Emakhazeni’ the letter is said to be coming from TP Nyoni, the chairperson of land acquisition committee which is myself. However I want to put it clear that I did not draft such a letter or signed it. The signature is that of advocate Bongo, in the administration especially at the director level where we are, we become familiar with each other’s signatures. I take notice that the HOD [Dube] also recognised his signature .
“I do not know why he signed it, but it depends on what he was instructed to do. Maybe he wanted to write as the end user which was me, but it was supposed to go to the accounting officer [Dube] for validation.” said Nyoni.
Nyoni said he first saw the document during his interrogation by the SIU.
The accused were arrested by the Hawks in October 2020 on over 80 charges. They were charged alongside four companies: The Little River Trading 156, Broad Market Trading 204, Bongiveli and Pfuka Afrika.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charges on Monday last week while charges of corruption, money laundering and fraud against Bongo’s brother, Sipho were withdrawn by the state on the same day.
The state cited that their key witness in the charges had left the country and was untraceable and that similar charges against Bongo and Singwane would be dropped.
The trial continues
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