Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform Gugile Nkwinti has dismissed "with contempt" claims that he favoured "friends, relatives, and friends of friends" in a controversial project for emerging cattle farmers in Eastern Cape.
He released a statement about the Gorah Farm deal this week - but only after COPE MP Mlindi Nhanha asked parliament for answers about the land reform project on the Sunshine Coast.
Nkwinti's spokesman , Mtobeli Mxotwa, said that Nhanha's "allegations" were "wild, inaccurate and clearly meant to gain political mileage. It is not true that [Nkwinti] allocated Gorah farm to friends. The minister is friendly to many people, irrespective of political affiliation or religion."
He said that though Nkwinti had, as MEC for agriculture, "supported people who had sought and deserved support in their quest for land in terms of their personal circumstances", he had not sealed the deal.
"I have on many occasions stated that the Gorah farm issue was a matter that involves the predecessor of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, the Department of Land Affairs, in 2008."
According to Nhanha's written submission to parliament, the project was launched "with great fanfare" in 2009 by Nkwinti, then the MEC.
"After an expenditure of many millions of rands of taxpayers' money, only four of the 20 beneficiaries today actually own some cattle," Nhanha's report said.
According to Nhanha, "prima facie evidence suggests that the Gorah land reform project became primarily a self-serving exercise helping Nkwinti's friends".
According to Nhanha, a 2009 annual report by the auditor-general revealed that millions were wasted on the project. In his submission, he asked if a prosecution had been instituted.
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