13 Oct 2025

There is Palpable tension as the old board vacates offices to pave way for the new broom, which is expected not only to sweep clean and better the affairs of Motlhabaneng, Lentswelemoriti and Mathathane (MOLEMA) Trust, but also to usher in enduring peace between board members and the communities they serve.

At the annual general meeting (AGM) held recently at Motlhabaneng kgotla, delegates sat in groups per villages where some supported the board for its decision to engage in a joint venture business model with Terra Conservancy Operations, while others spat in disdain the decision and pummeled the outgoing board with damning questions and allegations. 

Those who supported the joint venture model argued that it would have been beneficial to the communities had the MOLEMA Bush Camp been operational. 

Ever since the outgoing board came in office in May 2022 until vacating it October 2025, the bush camp never acquired an operating license owing to the alleged flouting of the constitution inter alia.

The board and scores of their supporters have criticised the technical advisory committee (TAC) of sabotage while the latter accused the former of neglecting the constitution despite being offered free advice.

For the trust to acquire an operating license, there ought to be some covering letter from the TAC to the Department of Tourism.  Not only that, the TAC should sit in and facilitate the awarding of tender to any investor sought by the trust. However, the TAC was side-lined while awarding the tender to Terra Conservancy.

After assuming the office, at some point, letters were exchanged between the district commissioner’s office and the MOLEMA board through their legal representative Monthe Marumo & Co.

The then district commissioner had instructed, September 6, 2022, that the board suspend activities at the bush camp, but a response from the board legal representatives found the letter ‘of no legal force and effect’ and therefore advised their client to continue executing their mandate in terms of deed of trust.

In the process a letter that sought to interdict some members of the TAC was delivered to them on March 23, 2023 to bar them from amongst other things dealing with and/or convening meetings/gatherings to discuss MOLEMA community trust and/or its business and/or any of its ventures without the authority and/or permission of trustees.

Further, the officers in question were also warned that their involvement in the tender processes of MOLEMA community trust post the award of the said tender to Terra Conservancy Operations constituted an abuse of their respective offices and their capacities as government officials ‘and indeed an act of harassment to MOLEMA trust and/or Terra Conservancy.

As a result, the board spent three years of tenure without any meaningful contribution to the trust that should serve the people of the three villages. While at it, the board accrued debts.

An unaudited report, read by the board secretary, Ms Naledi Molapisane, in the absence of the treasurer, whose absence was not explained, showed that the outgoing board found P265,000 in the trust’s coffers. 

However, the members, though having spent part of the funds, suspected misappropriation when bank statement showed a balance of P0.24.  They had since reported the matter to the police and subsequent follow-ups with the criminal investigative department revealed that the matter has since been handed over to directorate of public prosecution.

The suspected and or alleged misappropriation and or embezzlement left the board crippled, part of which led to presentation of an unaudited report, as per Ms Molapisane.

While in office, the board has spent P266,536.66 in legal fees and the fees were paid fully with the joint venture partner who expects a full reimbursement from the board. 

In addition to other expenses, the board showed that the trust was in excess of P790,985 in debt while it is owed P123,020.70 by the previous investor.

The joint venture partner has reportedly injected about P3.48 million of investment at the 39 MR Winterood farm in Tuli excluding legal and travelling fees, as per the unaudited financial report.

It was against the alleged flouting of the constitution and the accrued debts that some villages’ delegates spat some statements and allegations. 

First, they called for the attorney, Mr Dutch Leburu of Monthe Marumo & Co. and Mr Jurgen Elbertse representing the Terra Conservancy, not to partake in their AGM.

A meeting that was set to start at 9am had to be delayed while arguing the merits and demerits of having the two in attendance until a consensus was reached to have them leave after almost three hours of back and forth.

In their arguments, those against the outgoing board of trustees criticised it for spiting the constitution, with some allegedly serving own interests and using MOLEMA Trust to achieve such. 

“The board flouted the constitution with sheer impunity and hence we find MOLEMA Trust in this kind of financial doldrums,” said Mr Meshack Makgosa, a former councillor for Mathathane who was also an ex-officio member of the board.

He alleged that his counsel and those of others were ignored and the board labelled TAC as meddling and interfering in its affairs. 

He also alleged that in awarding the joint venture tender, which was initial seeking an investor, but was changed in secrecy, some people who were not members of the board actually attended the meeting and influenced the decision.

Mr Makgosa posited that the trust was circled by individuals who were preying on feeding off it. Also, he alleged that Terra Conservancy did not meet the requirements and fell off at the preliminary stages, but to his shock it was a preferred partner at the end.

“Everything that happened in the absence of the TAC, especially in exercising the powers that the committee is empowered to wield, is illegal,” said the former councillor who accused the board to have spent a lot of time in courts as a consequence side-lining their advisors.

However, a report by the board chairperson, Mr Kebalepile Manyatsa, indicated that the chairperson of the TAC, in his capacity as the district officer development, tendered an apology through a phone call and gave them green light to proceed with the award of the tender. The said officer has since been transferred.

Consequently, the TAC secretary, Mr Jokoniah Maphorisa dismissed the alleged phone call-issued ‘go ahead’ saying the board conducted their affairs in shrouded secrecy and did not engage TAC in the said tender. 

However, the said members were interdicted from participating in the tender processes of the trust.

Mr Makgosa argued that the board could have saved the funds had they engaged the communities and the TAC on the best possible partner and solutions, adding that it would not have cost the trust any funds to utilise the council attorney.

The issue of the choice of the legal representative of the trust was also questioned with some delegates questioning the appointment of the law firm and even going on to the extent of questioning the fees the trust incurred. 

“The same board that alleges misappropriation of funds by some of them have now gone to court to seek that the TAC release to them from the holding account proceeds of elephant hunting. Can they be trusted?” Mr Makgosa quizzed to a rousing disapproval from some who sat in his corner.

At the end, a new 10 member board was introduced with Mr Arnold Madikwe as the chairperson, assisted by Tiroyaone Maleke. ENDS