The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has uncovered an elaborate criminal scheme involving the fraudulent transfer of municipal land valued at R58 million into private hands within the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.

Speaking during a press conference on 16 September 2026, the Head of the SIU Leonard Lekgetho, detailed the findings of an investigation into the unlawful alienation of 221 vacant stands situated in Villa Lisa Township, near Boksburg.

Authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa in October 2024 the investigation culminated in a final report submitted to the Presidency in July 2026.

The SIU investigation revealed that between 2018 and 2022, 208 of the 221 municipal stands were unlawfully transferred to private entities without any council resolution or legal authorisation. Despite new owners occupying and developing several of these properties, the Ekurhuleni Municipality has not received a single cent from any of the transactions.

The modus operandi involved a syndicate operation led by an alleged “estate agent” working in tandem with an unapproved legal firm. The agent identified unallocated municipal land in Villa Lisa Township and orchestrated fraudulent sales. Verification with the Department of Home Affairs confirmed that the individual acting as the estate agent passed away on 10 January 2022.

To execute the transfers, the agent allegedly collaborated with Moki Attorneys Incorporated, a conveyancing firm owned by attorney Kabelo Valentine Moki. Although Moki Attorneys was not on the municipality’s panel of approved attorneys, the firm allegedly certified fraudulent documents and lodged them at the Johannesburg Deeds Office. The alleged fraud relied on fabricated powers of attorney and forged rates clearance certificates to deceive the registration system. Transactions were conducted in cash to seemingly complicate financial tracing. Crucially, the SIU noted that no evidence currently indicates the involvement of officials from either the Deeds Office or Ekurhuleni Municipality.

The investigation exposed severe financial disparities between official property values and registered sale figures. Deeds Office records listed each stand as having been sold for just R18 000, despite municipal valuations ranging between R80,000 and R3.7 million per stand. Buyers subsequently resold these properties at an average price of R250 000 per stand.

Conveyancer Kabelo Valentine Moki and his spouse, Makhosasana Emelda Moki, allegedly personally enriched themselves through the scheme. The couple allegedly acquired 73 of the stolen municipal stands for their personal benefit, registering them under two corporate entities: Velamelda Trust and Mokolane Investments (Pty) Ltd.

Of the remaining 13 properties examined under the proclamation, the SIU determined that they were not transferred by Moki Attorneys. Eight properties were transferred by the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements, two were privately owned prior to the scheme, two remain under municipal ownership, and one property could not be found in municipal or Deeds Registry records.

 The SIU has launched comprehensive legal proceedings and regulatory referrals to recover public assets and enforce accountability.

In June 2026, the SIU secured an interim order from the Special Tribunal prohibiting occupants and registered owners of the 208 stands from selling, leasing, developing, or disposing of the properties. The SIU will file an application in the Special Tribunal on 18 September 2026, to set aside all unlawful property transfers and recover municipal losses.

A total of 208 counts of fraud against Kabelo Valentine Moki and Moki Attorneys have been referred to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). Moki Attorneys has been referred to the Legal Practice Council (LPC) for professional misconduct, while 147 referrals were submitted to the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) over FICA non-compliance, alongside referrals to the South African Revenue Service (SARS) regarding tax irregularities.

To prevent future property theft, the SIU submitted formal recommendations to the Ekurhuleni City Manager in March 2026. These include implementing strict verification protocols before connecting municipal services, conducting annual asset audits, establishing a dual-signatory requirement for property transactions, and creating a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Deeds Office.

Lekgetho characterised the scheme as a “narrative of betrayal” that deprived local communities of essential development. While the Villa Lisa investigation has concluded, the SIU revealed that an amendment to the Presidential Proclamation is being considered to extend the probe into the suspected fraudulent transfer of a further 1,022 municipal properties.