In a recent press statement, the FF Plus demanded clarity on the City of Mbombela’s (CoM) land audit that has, according to reports, been dragging on for years.

According to FF Plus proportional representation councillor Ken Robertson, on November 30, 2017, the council passed a motion to obtain a finalised land audit from the Ehlanzeni District Municipality.

“Nearly nine years later, taxpayers are still awaiting feedback. The audit was supposed to have been tabled with the Council by February 2021, but the foot-dragging continues. The main aim of the audit is to enable the portfolio committee on city planning to formally identify state-owned land within the boundaries of Mbombela, White River, Hazyview and Barberton. Without this data, the public remains in the dark about the true extent of land in state ownership”, he explained.

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Robertson said this failure amounts either to gross incompetence or deliberate withholding of information for political reasons.

“I have sent questions in writing to the executive mayor, Sibongile Makushe-Mazibuko, to establish why the council’s resolution has not been implemented and why no official has taken the simple step of obtaining the documentation from the district municipality. The FF Plus now demands a full breakdown of all state-owned land, including tribal land, state farms and informal settlement areas, so that it can be compared with privately-owned land in the CoM. Mbombela’s residents deserve facts, not political slogans,” Robertson said.

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He committed to demanding answers at the upcoming quarterly council meeting and said he will insist on a thorough analysis of the data. Meaningful decisions about land and development in the region can only be taken based on facts.

In response to Lowvelder’s enquiries, the mayor’s office said they have advertised the tender but have not yet found a company that is able to do the job.