NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION 980
DATE OF PUBLICATION: FRIDAY 04 SEPTEMBER 2009 [IQP No 11 -2009] FIRST
SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT
Question 980 for Written Reply, National Assembly: Dr. L L Bosman (DA) to
ask the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:
1. How much money did the (a) Land Bank and/or department transfer to
the Matuba Maponya Attorneyâs Trust Fund for the benefit of His Grace is
Sufficient, a farming project for the benefit of HIV+ women, as part of
its social development commitments?
2. How much money has disappeared from the account?
3. Whether the department instituted an investigation to discover how the
grant money disappeared from the attorneyâs trust fund; if so (a) what
are the names of the people under investigation, (b) what actions will
the department be taking for the recovering of the funds? NW1187E
REPLY:
1. In consultation with the Departmentâs AgriBEE Fund Partner, i.e. the
Land Bank, I gathered that the Land Bank has never transferred money
to the Matuba Maponya Attorneyâs Trust Fund for the benefit of His
Grace is Sufficient. However, an amount of R19 million that was
transferred by the Land Bank to the Matuba Maponya Attorneyâs Trust
Fund was for the benefit of the following projects beneficiaries:
Depalo Tema (R3.5 million), Tswelopele Farming (R9 million) and Acque
Bela (R6.5 million). The records that are currently in Land Bankâs
possession do not confirm the name âHis Grace is Sufficientâ as listed
as a beneficiary of the AgriBEE Fund either directly or through a
third party. The record of transfers to Matuba Maponya Attorneys does
not show the fore listed group as a beneficiary.
2. The Department is unaware of the money that has disappeared from the
Attorneyâs account; however, the Land Bank is currently busy with an
investigation into allegations of financial mismanagement of the
AgriBEE fund. One would therefore expect that the findings from this
investigation would either confirm or disprove the allegations of the
disappearance of money from the Attorneyâs account.
3. Given the fact that the Land Bankâs investigations into the
allegations of financial mismanagement of the AgriBEE fund are still
underway, the Department can and will only take action against those
who are found to be responsible. In this regard the Department will
take all necessary steps to recover the disappeared funds if the
findings prove that the allegations in question are true.