THE Land Affairs Ministry this week strongly denied claims by former MD Helena Dolny that the department is conducting an “ethnic cleansing” against the “white left” in its ranks. Dolny, who last week resigned from the Land Bank following an investigation of alleged mismanagement at the bank, made the allegations in an interview with e.tv this week. In the interview she referred to the departure from the department of former land affairs minister Derek Hanekom’s legal adviser, Steven Goldblatt, land affairs director Geoff Budlender amoung others. Land affairs ministry spokesman Gay Kahile denied that any “ethnic cleansing” was taking place in the department and said that the government does not view its employees as left or right of the political spectrum.