In a staggering exposure of corruption and systemic rot, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has laid bare a massive syndicate that aggressively plundered multi-million rand municipal land assets in the City of Ekurhuleni.
During an explosive media briefing on Wednesday, investigators revealed the dark underbelly of a sophisticated land scam in the Villa Liza township near Boksburg, where hundreds of vacant municipal stands were fraudulently siphoned into private hands. The total value of the stolen land is estimated at an astronomical R58-million.
The ghost agent and forged deeds
According to the SIU findings, a staggering 208 out of 221 vacant municipal stands were illegally transferred between 2018 and 2022. The entire operation circumvented the local metro entirely, moving forward without a single council resolution or lawful authority, leaving the municipality with zero revenue.
At the dark heart of the conspiracy was a local “estate agent” who identified unallocated municipal land and masterminded the fraudulent sales. In a bizarre twist, Home Affairs records confirmed the architect of the scam died in January 2022, yet the criminal network he left behind continued to exploit the system. To bypass official legal checkpoints and dupe the Deeds Office, the syndicate relied heavily on fabricated powers of attorney and forged rates clearance certificates.
A family affair of cheap stands
The SIU’s crosshairs have firmly locked onto prominent conveyancer Kabelo Valentine Moki, of Moki Attorneys Incorporated, and his spouse, Makhosazana Emelda Moki. The couple allegedly played a pivotal role in legalising the stolen properties.
Far from acting as neutral legal practitioners, the Mokis allegedly used the scam for staggering personal enrichment. The investigation revealed that they personally acquired 73 of the stolen stands through shell entities, including the Velamelda Trust and Mokolane Investments.
Deeds Office records uncovered that the stolen municipal stands were documented as sold for a mere R18 000 each. This pittance stood in stark contrast to the actual municipal valuations, which ranged from R80 000 to a whopping R3.7-million per property.
Profiteering on stolen soil
The greed did not end with the initial theft. Many of the fraudulently acquired stands were quickly flipped and resold to unsuspecting buyers for an average of R250 000.
A drive through Villa Liza today reveals that many of these properties have since been developed by their new owners, who built homes and structures in good faith. However, because the original transfers were entirely illegal, the City of Ekurhuleni remains locked out of its own asset register, collecting absolutely nothing in rates or service revenue from the developed land.
From presidential decree to criminal charges
The expansive probe dates back to October 2024, when President Cyril Ramaphosa signed Proclamation No. 195 of 2024, authorising the SIU to investigate severe maladministration within the metro. Following nearly two years of forensic tracking, the SIU quietly submitted its final report to the President in July 2026 before going public today.
The hammer is now preparing to fall on those involved. The SIU confirmed it has referred 208 criminal cases to the National Prosecuting Authority for immediate asset forfeiture and prosecution. Additionally, formal complaints have been lodged with the Legal Practice Council, the South African Revenue Service, and the Financial Intelligence Centre.
While the SIU aggressively pursues civil litigation to reverse the transfers and claw the properties back for the municipality, the fate of the Moki syndicate now rests squarely in the hands of the courts and the state’s prosecuting authority.
- The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) uncovered a land scam in Villa Liza township where 208 out of 221 vacant municipal stands were illegally transferred from 2018 to 2022, valued at R58 million.
- The scam was orchestrated by a local estate agent who died in January 2022, but the criminal network continued to operate using forged documents such as powers of attorney and rates clearance certificates.
- Conveyancer Kabelo Valentine Moki and his spouse, Makhosazana Emelda Moki, allegedly acquired 73 of the stolen stands through shell entities and sold them at prices far below municipal valuations.
- Stands were bought for as little as R18,000 each and then resold to unsuspecting buyers for about R250,000, with the City of Ekurhuleni losing all revenue from rates or services due to illegal transfers.
- The SIU submitted a final report in July 2026, referred 208 criminal cases to the National Prosecuting Authority, and lodged complaints with various regulatory bodies to pursue prosecutions and civil litigation.
🎧 Listen to this article
In a staggering exposure of corruption and systemic rot, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has laid bare a massive syndicate that aggressively plundered multi-million rand municipal land assets in the City of Ekurhuleni.
At the dark heart of the conspiracy was a local "estate agent" who identified unallocated municipal land and masterminded the fraudulent sales. In a bizarre twist, Home Affairs records confirmed the architect of the scam died in January 2022, yet the criminal network he left behind continued to exploit the system. To bypass official legal checkpoints and dupe the Deeds Office, the syndicate relied heavily on fabricated powers of attorney and forged rates clearance certificates.
Far from acting as neutral legal practitioners, the Mokis allegedly used the scam for staggering personal enrichment. The
Deeds Office records uncovered that the stolen municipal stands were documented as sold for a mere R18 000 each. This pittance stood in stark contrast to the actual municipal valuations, which ranged from R80 000 to a whopping R3.7-million per property.
A drive through Villa Liza today reveals that many of these properties have since been developed by their new owners, who built homes and structures in good faith. However, because the original transfers were entirely illegal, the City of Ekurhuleni remains locked out of its own asset register, collecting absolutely nothing in rates or service revenue from the developed land.
While the SIU aggressively pursues civil litigation to reverse the transfers and claw the properties back for the municipality, the fate of the Moki syndicate now rests squarely in the hands of the courts and the state's prosecuting authority.
