Agriculture minister to be taken to court over alleged illegal land ownership

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

Newly appointed Agriculture Minister, Senzeni Zokwana has denied that a gift of brandy was a bribe in order to acquire land in the Eastern Cape.

City Press reports that the chief of Ntshatshongo village in Willowvale, Manduleli Bikitsha, is taking Zokwana to court, alleging that the minister is occupying land in the area illegally.

Bikitsha said that Zokwana did not follow the correct procedure to acquire the land according to traditional practice and instead used a gift of alcohol to secure occupation of the area where he keeps his cattle.

Zokwana confirmed to the newspaper that he was using the land "for now" but insisted that he had followed the correct process.

The case is set to be heard on June 26 in the Willowvale Magistrate's Court.