Public Protector 'dropped the ball' in closing 'dodgy' land deal case

THE Public Protector (PP) has been accused of “dropping the ball” after it closed its investigation into a multimillion-rand alleged “dodgy” land deal involving the City and the provincial government to build houses for Dunoon residents.

- NICOLA DANIELS

Good party MPL Brett Herron lodged a complaint with the PP over a piece of land in Table View purchased by the DA-led provincial government, allegedly at an inflated cost for over R64 million. In his capacity as Transport and Urban Development mayco member in 2018, Herron said he was acting on the advice of the City’s own land acquisitions specialists when he opposed the purchase of 17 hectares of land in an industrial park in the Killarney Gardens precinct.

He said the land purchased for the “urgent” relocation was also not suitable for housing, as seven of the 17 hectares form part of a wetland.