The report released last week, indicates that Busisiwe Mkhwebane has found the department guilty for failing to register and transfer ownership of property to one of the complainants in Lichtenburg for over a decade. The complainant known as Ms DC Dihemo, lodged a complaint with the Office of the Public Protector in 2012 after approaching the provincial department for years to no avail.

According to this report, the department has unduly failed to register and transfer ownership of a property to the complainant, despite having paid R112 000 to the department back in 2008. The department has not responded to OFM News’ set of questions nor indicated whether it will take the report with adverse findings against it or start implementing the remedial actions listed.

Meanwhile, time is running out for the department since some of the remedial actions have timelines.

Mkhwebane in her report stated that the department has failed to transfer the said property into Dihemo’s name and has thus suffered prejudice as a result of the conduct of the Department. 

She further stated that the complainant has continuously been paying monthly occupational rent of R200 for the past ten years and has been prohibited from effecting any alterations or any extensions to the property whereas the reasonable period within which the property should have been transferred to her name, was six months.

Mkhwebane has ordered the Head of the Department to provide the office of the State Attorney with all the necessary documents to enable the State Attorney to register and transfer the said property into the complainant’s name within 30 working days, to refund the complainant all the money paid as occupational rental, minus the rental for six months which would have been a reasonable time to register the property.

She also demands, amongst other things, that the Head of the Department send an apology letter to the complainant for the undue delay to transfer ownership of the property into her name, within 30 days.

OFM News