Eastern Cape MEC for Public Works, Babalo Madikizela, together with the Executive Mayor of OR Tambo, Thokozile Sokhanyile, on Friday launched the Eastern Cape Chapter of “Operation Bring Back” (OBB) State Properties Campaign in Mthatha.
The campaign aims to reclaim many of the state stolen properties.
OBB was first launched by the national Department of Public Works back in 2014, under the stewardship of the then Minister Thulas Nxesi.
MEC Madikizela first made the commitment to revive the campaign when he tabled his initial Policy and Budget Speech as Public Works MEC last year.
Upon tabling his Policy and Budget Speech on Tuesday 23 March 2021, he committed to officially launch the campaign today the 25th of March 2021, a campaign in which members of the public are invited to blow the whistle about any “suspected ” transactions involving state properties.
The department is moving to recover ‘stolen state property’ from individuals who are claiming buildings, properties and even farms as their own without being able to prove acquisition, which in some cases dates to before the 1994 democratic transition
The provincial department has since redefined terms of reference of the “old OBB”.
Operation #Mazibuye now includes case types such as:
* Alleged acquisition from the former Department of Land Tenure in Transkei and Ciskei, but where actual transfers did not occur.
Alleged acquisitions from municipalities (including the legal mandate of the then local authority to be investigated),
*Extra-ordinary long term leases not in favour of the State (before DPWI became the custodian of immovable assets),
*And Acquisitions of land by the Eastern Cape Provincial Government (value for money – investigate possibility of inflated valuations). These include land acquired by the Department of Human Settlements, where the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure
Alleged historical encroachments
Alleged tenure rights on outspans and other commonage areas.
A dedicated toll free number, WhatsApp and email address will also be made public, as #OperationMazibuye intensifies.