iafrica.com news sa news R126m for low-cost housing squandered
About R126-million in state funds meant for construction of low-cost housing has been squandered by corrupt officials and developers since 1997, Housing Minister Sankie Mthembi-Mahanyele said on Wednesday.
She said in Pretoria a task team she appointed earlier this year identified about 100 cases in several provinces involving corruption.
Out of these, 26 were dealt with urgently as they involved millions of rands of public funds spent fraudulently.
"Seven of these cases have been finalised and a report shows that there is prima facie evidence of fraud and corruption," the minister told reporters.
Mthembi-Mahanyele said eight people, among them contractors, developers and departmental officials from Limpopo and Gauteng have been apprehended so far and more arrests were imminent.
"These arrests go to show that we will not tolerate the abuse by officials of their positions for personal gain," she said.
"Anyone found demanding or accepting bribes of other favours, including sexual favours, as we have heard, will go to jail."
Mthembi-Mahanyele gave the task team's evidence, which was in two sealed boxes, to National Director of Public Prosecution Bulelani Ngcuka for further investigation and prosecution.
Ngcuka said: "Having received the forensic report, my authority will now prioritise the investigation of these offences.
"We are determined that these crimes against the poor will not go unpunished."
Please do tell? How many have been prosecuted to date?