The embarrassed Mogale City Local Municipality Rietvallei (2 and 3) ward councillor Walter Mfanelo Plaatjie was found guilty in the Randfontein Magistrates’ Court on the two charges of fraud and corruption.
The gallery of the Randfontein Court where the verdict was expected to be delivered by presiding magistrate AM Mahlangeni was packed to capacity with the accused’s supporters wearing yellow T-shirt bearing President Zuma’s face.
Credit to Rietvallei 2 and 3 Community Forum who laid the two charges against the ward councillor at the Gauteng Housing Department’s Anti-Corruption and Fraud Unit in partnership with the SAPS Commercial Unit on 26 April 2011.
The magistrate told the court that Plaatjie is a liar, he misused his position as a councillor and stole from the poor. The magistrate accused the disgusting ward councillor of selling the vacant stands that were intended for homeless residents who have been on the waiting list since 1996.
The houses were sold for between R3 500 and R20 000 each.
The arrest was part of the housing department’s efforts to root out corruption in the allocation of RDP houses.
The public prosecutor G Twala welcomed the sentencing, while the defence attorney K Latakgomo appealed against the sentence.
