208 municipal plots valued at R58 million fraudulently transferred to private people

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) found that municipal land in Villa Liza, Boksburg, was fraudulently transferred to individuals.

Villa Liza in Boksburg is located in the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, which has been beset with corruption and mismanagement.

Ekurhuleni faces a combination of governance failures, severe financial strain, infrastructure degradation, and systemic corruption scandals.

Frequent shifts in political leadership and fragile multi-party coalitions have weakened administrative oversight and disrupted long-term planning.

This created a gap for criminal activity, and the Villa Liza land transfers are an example of the corruption in the municipality.

The SIU found that 208 municipal plots, valued at R58 million, were fraudulently transferred to private persons between 2018 and 2022.

These transfers occurred without council resolutions or legal authorisation, and the Metro received no proceeds from them.

Forged tax clearance certificates and powers of attorney were used to authorise and execute the transfers.

The matter has been referred to the relevant authorities for prosecution, while the SIU is taking legal steps to set aside the unlawful transfers and recover losses.

The Villa Liza land transfer is not an isolated case. There are similar problems elsewhere in Ekurhuleni.

In Randhart and Alberton, for example, there were unlawful sales and occupation of 18 municipal properties, which are currently under investigation.

One of the problems is that there is no reliable register of the number and location of the properties owned by Ekurhuleni.

It is not possible to exercise control over municipal property without information on these properties.

Although R12 million was earmarked for a three-year land audit in the 2025/26 budget, there have been no progress updates on the audit.

“Public property belongs to the people of Ekurhuleni and should be safeguarded for their benefit,” said Jennifer Glover, a councillor in the City of Ekurhuleni.