Question NW2359 to the Minister of Public Works
07 September 2017 - NW2359
Kohler-Barnard, Ms D to ask the Minister of Public Works
(1) With reference to his reply to oral question 106 on 7 June 2017, (a) what are the reasons that the 1 299 properties became illegally occupied and (b) have any officials been held accountable in this regard; (2) What are the names of the top ten landlords of his department’s properties in each province?
Reply:
1. (a) As part of ensuring that the Department has an asset register that is compliant with the Standards of Generally Recognised Accounting Practice (GRAP), an asset verification processes needed to be undertaken. Whilst conducting the verification process, the Department came across some anomalies which required further investigation. Illegal occupation of State-owned land came out as one of the results of the investigation and this lead the Departments need to establish the OBB Project to ensure that the said anomalies are addressed.
Following this, various reasons were identified as the cause for the illegal occupation of State properties, these include:
- Properties which have been unlawfully and / or to the detriment of the State been disposed of to other entities, private individuals, companies or trusts;
- Properties which have been otherwise transferred incorrectly / unlawfully
- Properties which have been occupied unlawfully or encroached upon;
- Properties which have been donated for non-valid reasons
- Opportunists and land grabbers purporting to be land owners of state owned land, selling and letting out to unsuspecting applicants.
- State owned properties abandoned and left unattended and unsecured by Client Departments
- Sub-letting of State owned properties
(b) The investigations into the illegally occupied properties is a detailed and time consuming process. It further requires that thorough investigations be
conducted in identifying those who are found to have played a part in the said properties being illegally occupied. To this end, no officials have been held
accountable as yet as investigations into the illegally occupied properties are on-going.
(2) Below, please find a list with the top 10 landlords per region:
