He is currently rushing to court to wage a ‘defamation’ law suit against the community leaders.
Emalahleni Housing Company boss George Xaba is giving himself a salary of R1.3 million each year excluding bonuses and other personal expenses like medical aid from Dingindoda rentals, this paper can reveal.
Documents seen by the 013NEWS reporter this week show that the government-mandated public company collects over R41 million in rent each year from the vulnerably employed people of Dingindoda in Tasbet Park and this money has been used to buy other properties worth over R61 million to the personal belonging of Xaba and pals serving in the board.
Other than Uthingo Park, informally known as Dingindoda, which is valued at close to R200 million, the eMalahleni Housing Company claims to own flats in Model Park which are worth R18 million, others in Klarinet worth R40 million and guesthouses in the CBD totalling over R3 million.
But documents from the Deed’s Office show the properties are not actually registered under the non-profit company’s name.
Xaba also drives around in a Mercedes-Benz E250 paid for by the tenants and in their financial statements, the board members of the eMalahleni Housing Company list Limelight Properties (Pty) Ltd and Likhaya Community Development NPC as their “subsidiaries” but the information at the Deeds Office still shows that eMalahleni Housing Company owns nothing.
What this could mean is that all these properties are registered in the personal names of Xaba and friends.
Xaba didn’t answer his phone after repeated attempts to contact him this week.
The eMalahleni Housing Company has 8 board members – Xaba who is the chief executive officer, chief financial officer Zanele Shongwe, Desmond Khoza, Hazel Zitha, Nomvula Motloung, Busisiwe Dlamini, Risimati Chauke and Thabo Mokoena and an amount of R10.7 million is used annually in paying them and other staff members.
ALSO RELATED: George Xaba accused of enriching himself from Dingindoda rent
The Limelight Pty Ltd was registered in 2014 and Likhaya Community Development in 2015.
ALSO SEE: Dingindoda residents will no longer pay rent
R1.7 million is used in paying for Xaba and other employees’ medical aids.
The eMalahleni Housing Company is a government-mandated rent collecting agent and was established as a non-profit organisation to collect rent and continue the development of the houses for low income earners in the area but was politically hijacked from the developer and has now been used by Xaba, who is the area’s ex-ANC branch chairman, and pals to live a comfortable lifestyle at the expense of the vulnerably employed tenants.
It was supposedly meant to be rent-to-buy homes but Xaba disputes this and said the homes can’t be rent-to-buy homes “where beneficiaries enjoy ownership”.
“The perception that is being created that the units can be handed over to people for ownership is far from the truth,” Xaba said in a statement.
The public company gives Khoza, who is allegedly deployed by the Law Society, an amount of R131 000 each year to serve on the board while giving chief financial officer Shongwe R555 000.
The Cosatu’s Mokoena earns over R80 000, Dlamini R112 000, Motloung R102 000 and Chauke R175 000.
At the Likhaya Community Development NPC Xaba, Shongwe, Laya Chetty, Chauke, Mokoena, Khoza and Motloung are registered as directors.
The Dingindoda settlement is registered as being valued at close to R200 million.
Xaba is currently in court to fight off allegations that he is enriching himself at the expense of poor people “as defamation and interference aimed at dissuading tenants from paying rent and [trying to] to unseat eMalahleni Housing Company as the lawful housing authority”.
(edited by ZK)
Send tip-offs to editor@013.co.za
