An ugly high-profile spat over the sale of prime Bloemfontein land has claimed its first victim — the city’s chief operating officer, Kobimpe Mcejwa.
The Mangaung council dismissed Mcejwa after a disciplinary hearing last week.
Mcejwa was suspended in June last year. Ten of the 20 disciplinary charges against him related to his role in offering to sell businessman Tebogo Koetle council land adjacent to Bloemfontein’s Windmill Casino for R2,25-million in August 2007. This was the value placed on it by Bloemfontein valuer Dahai, Potgieter, Ellenberger and Kahts.
Three months earlier, the same company Âvalued it at R43-million for the municipality.
Durban advocate Tayob Aboobaker, who presided over the hearing, found that Mcejwa ”clearly abused” valuer Johannes Potgieter by telling him to change the valuation to the figure in 1999, when Koetle acquired the land.
Describing Aboobaker as ”grossly biased”, Mcejwa said he would appeal.
In June the Mail & Guardian reported that Koetle, of Ya Rona Investments, had said he could not acquire the land because he had refused to pay bribes to ANC politicians.
He submitted a sworn affidavit to the council last year accusing the Free State legislature’s deputy secretary, Bernard Phitsane, of soliciting bribes on behalf of four politicians, including Free State Premier Ace Magashule. They allegedly demanded shares in his company in return for approving the land deal.
They have denied Koetle’s allegations.
Ya Rona acquired rights to develop the 90ha plot through a 1999 council resolution.