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Johannesburg - At least one senior official received bribes to speed up property transfers at the Pretoria deeds office, Business Report said on Tuesday.
This is the latest fallout from the property drama involving the fraudulent transfer of 33 properties from the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) to private firms. Another 30 sites owned by the Tshwane Metro and North West Housing Corporation were also allegedly transferred fraudulently.
According to Business Report, the "going rate" of R1 000 was charged for expediting transfers and R500 for inserting a transfer duty certificate after the lodgement of a deed.
One official pocketed thousands of rands a day, the report stated.
The rural development and land reform department is engaged in an internal probe into activities at the deeds office.
Chief registrar of deeds Sam Lefafa issued a circular last month that instructed registrars of deeds to practise strict control over expediting procedures, and to inspect the register regularly.
He has also prohibited the expediting of deeds in all registries, with the exception of deeds related to land reform and RDP housing projects.
The deeds office did not comment on what action will be taken against suspended deputy registrar Edmund Sibisi, who facilitated the fraudulent transfer of 33 properties owned by the JPC, said the report.
Pogiso Mesefo, registrar of the Pretoria deeds office, has also been suspended, although the reasons for this are unknown. It is also rumoured that assistant registrar Edwin Maphosa has been suspended, although the department has refused to confirm or deny this.
The report also quoted Berry Everitt, CEO of the Chas Everitt International property group, as saying that dishonesty at the deeds office could make title deed insurance necessary, as local property owners won't have absolute security of tenure.
- Fin24.com