One household and two friends stand accused of allegedly defrauding the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform out of more than R6 million via its land grant programme.
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The Laaiplek Magistrate’s Court in Velddrif granted Willem Klaase, his wife Martha Klaase, their daughter Marga, sons Wilbur and Alberto Klaase, and two family friends – Brian Phillipus and Elton Smith – bail of R3 000 each, as well as an added condition that their residential addresses can’t change without informing the investigating officer.
The Hawk’s Serious Corruption Investigation team arrested the group on Tuesday after conducting an intelligence-driven operation in Laaiplek, Vredenberg and Saldanha.
In 2 000, part-time farmer Willem Klaase approached the department to enquire about its Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development (LRAD) grant, which aims to enable previously disadvantaged black South Africans to acquire farms, and actively participate in the agricultural economy.
Two years later, the 67-year-old Klaase applied for the grant to purchase the ‘Rietvlei’, a piece of farmland located in the Aurora District in Piketberg. While his application was unsuccessful due to a lack of funding, he reapplied in 2006. Between November 2007 and October 2008, Willem (along with a facilitator and business planning agent) submitted a project business plan named the ‘Willem Klaase Projek: Welbeloon Boerdery Trust’, as well as several other supporting documents.
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Eric Ntabazalila, Western Cape spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), says the family requested that the department allocate a LRAD grant to the still-to-be-established trust, with a view to purchasing Portion Six (De La Rey) of the farm ‘Pampoene Kraal Number 33’ in Piketberg for R3 million. The family also wanted to purchase all movable implements and livestock to the value of R1.68 million.
‘They registered the trust at the office of the Master of the High Court on April 4, 2008. The accused, his family members, and the two friends became trustees, and 43 other individuals were appointed as beneficiaries of the trust. In their application, they indicated that 49 adults, five households, 25 women, 17 young people, seven pensioners and 20 unemployed people will benefit.’
Ntabazalila adds that the application indicated that the applicants were emerging farmers with experience in smallholder and commercial farming, claiming that they hailed from a background of subsistence farming of sheep, pigs, cattle, vegetable productions and poultry. The majority of the individuals reportedly worked in the agricultural sector for most of their lives.
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As per IOL, some of the applicants also indicated that they underwent short training courses related to farming, including courses on poultry, sheep and pastures; while others were participating in a training programme presented by Potatoes South Africa, a non-profit company.
‘The proposed farming activities were to comprise 20ha of potatoes, 150 ha of oats, 150 ha of lupines and 800 sheep. Between October 14 and 31, 2008 the Provincial Grants Committee (PGC) and the Acting Chief Director of the Department approved the application and R6.2 million was paid,’ says Ntabazalila.
IOL further reports that Willem and his wife Martha approached others with the offer to become beneficiaries of the trust, which could aid them in obtaining the farm. The beneficiaries were provided with pre-filled forms to sign. These forms reportedly misrepresented the employment status of some of the beneficiaries.
However, investigations revealed that these beneficiaries were in fact working for a parastatal, which disqualified them from benefitting from the LRAD grant.
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‘The State alleges the accused conspired, agreed, and decided to obtain the LRAD grant from the department in order to purchase the farm and its movable implements and livestock solely to benefit Willem and his family,’ says Ntabazalila. ‘The accused caused the department to incur unauthorised expenditure on the farm in the amount of R6 283 867.’
The group was ordered not to tamper with witnesses in the matter.
The case has been postponed until 24 July and will be transferred to the Bellville Commercial Crimes Court in Cape Town, pending further investigations.
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