NHBRC chair put on special leave

557 12/08/2014 Radovan Krejcir appears at the Palm Ridge court yesterday. Picture:Nokuthula Mbatha

557 12/08/2014 Radovan Krejcir appears at the Palm Ridge court yesterday. Picture:Nokuthula Mbatha

Published Jan 29, 2015

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Johannesburg - National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) chairwoman Brenda Madumise was on Thursday put on leave of absence following allegations that she received cash from Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir.

“The Minister of Human Settlements, Lindiwe Sisulu, MP, has placed the chairperson... on leave of absence with immediate effect following allegations that appeared in the media in November 2014,” department spokesman Ndivhuwo Mabaya said in a statement.

“The minister would like to conclude this matter as soon as possible to protect the integrity of the chairperson and that of the NHBRC.”

Sisulu appointed Abbey Chikane as caretaker chairwoman.

In November, the Mail&Guardian reported that Madumise admitted receiving R1 million in cash from Krejcir in 2009.

In an affidavit dated April 16, 2011, Madumise reportedly admitted she received the money from Krejcir, who in exchange, allegedly expected to have his asylum application fast-tracked.

Responding to the newspaper's investigation team amaBhungane at the time, Madumise insisted the funds were meant to be a donation and not meant for her.

“If information had been made available to me that the funds were meant to be part of any corrupt or opaque deal, I would have rejected the funds. I only acted in terms of the information that the money was a donation,” she was quoted as saying.

She did not disclose to whom the donation was to be made.

Sapa

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