Land claim trust 'mismanaged'

Authorities are keeping under wraps a damning report containing allegations that millions of rands belonging to the Makgoba tribe were being misappropriated.

The Makgobas were the beneficiaries of a massive land claim in Limpopo that gave them farms worth more than R100-million in 2009.

But the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform's report into the affairs of the trust that administers the land and assets raises questions about its financial affairs.

It has been recommended that the yet-to-be-released document, which the Sunday Times has seen, be handed to the police to conduct a criminal investigation.

The Mamphoku Makgoba Community Trust administers 47 farms that were returned to the Makgoba tribe in settlement of a land claim. Two other farms given to the tribe in 2004 are being administered by Limpopo's agriculture department, after lying fallow for several years.

Some of the high-profile members of the Makgoba tribe include the vice-chancellor of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Professor Malegapuru Makgoba, Pretoria High Court Judge Ephraim Makgoba and the archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba.

The land includes timber plantations and hundreds of hectares cultivated with avocados and litchis.

Among the report's findings are that:

• Trees are felled too early and the timber is sold on the black market;
• Money from fruit sales is missing; and
• Rent money collected is missing.

According to the trust's first financial report, released only in August by chairman Thupane Makgoba, the trust made a profit of just R17668.

However, financial figures in the department's report indicated that income from property leases, rentals and the sale of timber, fruit and vegetables was R2.3-million.

"I want to categorically state that our community has so far not benefited from their own land," stated Thupane.

He has denied any wrongdoing in the running of the affairs of the trust, saying all monies collected and made had been reported.

The MEC for agriculture in Limpopo, Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba, confirmed that she had recommended that the report be handed to the police.

She said the report was "damning" and implicated members of the trust in a "very big way".

The head of the royal house, Kgoshi Mokopa Makgoba, 66, claims he has been excluded from the trust's business.

Mokopa said although the farms were handed to the trust two years ago, it was doing its "own thing".

"They don't want to account to me," said Mokopa, who has been refused permission to visit any of the farms.

"We are frustrated ... the community has definitely not benefited. They [the trust] should be dissolved."