Nomonde Mapetla is being punished for doing her job - bringing top South African property mogul Wendy Machanik to book.
|||Persecuted for doing her job. Punished for having the gall to throw the book at top South African property moguls for making millions illegally. And now she is shadowed by a bodyguard after threats to her life.
This is Nomonde Mapetla’s story, the CEO of the Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB) who was suspended after she brought down Wendy Machanik when she was found to have abused her agency’s R25 million trust account.
Machanik’s business was provisionally liquidated, a number of agents were left stranded and she is expected to face criminal charges.
Mapetla said her life had changed since she, acting on behalf of the board and the South African consumer, took action against Machanik.
“We are required by law to act in the way that we did against a number of estate agents. In terms of a 1976 law governing estate agents, we are required to inspect trust accounts to make sure that there is compliance.
“The law also prescribes what should happen in case of non-compliance. We are also required, in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, to report any violation. If the board did not report then I, as CEO, would be charged with whoever had infringed the law.
“The act is in place to protect people. So whether I like it or not I have to report incidents of non-compliance.”
Mapetla questioned why no noise had been made when the EAAB took action against a Durban-based estate agent, M Mseleku, who was found guilty of using R450 000 from her trust account and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
She said that when she took on Machanik, she was followed by strangers in unmarked cars. On one occasion her office had to call for security back up.
“Then my dog was brutally attacked by people who mutilated its ears.”
EAAB insiders expressed their concern about the developments of the past week.
The board had “literally” moved into the EAAB offices and taken over, they said.
“They have appointed an acting CEO but they are here every day. They have changed everything.”
One insider said there were fears that other investigations involving top agents would be swept under the carpet.
They were concerned too that there would be a witch hunt for staff who had signed a petition in protest against the new order.
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/mapetla-fears-for-her-life-1.1032808
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