Johannesburg - The three-year house arrest sentence given to a former City of Johannesburg employee on Thursday brought little comfort to three people he illegally sold land to.
The Johannesburg Magistrate's Court handed Sifiso Handsome Litau a five-year sentence which was wholly suspended for five years on the condition that he adhere to his house arrest requirements.
“I am not happy because he took our money. He lied to us. We've already built houses on that land,” said one woman after the sentencing procedures.
She asked that she not be named.
The group claimed that Magistrate Theunis Carstens provided no assurance to them that they would not lose their homes.
In November 2012, the Gauteng housing department demolished about 50 houses illegally built on government land in Lenasia.
The buyers were given forged deeds of sale with the department's logo.
Several people, including Litau, were arrested in connection with the illegal land sales.
One of the victims paid Litau R20 000 for the land, another R13 000, and a third R12 000.
Litau, who resigned from his position following an internal disciplinary hearing, now makes money from transporting children to school. He also ran a pest control business and made an income of around R80,000 a month.
He agreed to pay back his victims in monthly instalments from the end of January.
They, however, claimed it was unfair that a man of his wealth chose to pay them in dribs and drabs while he could afford to pay thousands of rands in school fees every month for at least two of his six children.
“When will he finish paying us?” they asked.
Carstens had taken a number of factors into consideration to reach his verdict. Among those was that Litau was taking care of his parents who lived in different provinces and he provided for four minor children.
Had Litau been handed a prison sentence, the children would suffer emotionally and most likely be a burden on the state, said Carstens.
However, he lashed out a him for showing no remorse for swindling his victims out of money.
“His conduct was driven by greed, not need,” said Carstens.
Listing Litau's house arrest conditions, Carstens said Litau would only be allowed to leave his house for work, church, doctor's appointments, and community service projects.
He also needed to dedicate 16 hours every month to cleaning cars belonging to the Jabulani police and fire station, for the next three years.
He was ordered to attend life skills classes and undergo individual therapy and not use any alcohol, or drugs which had not been prescribed by a medical doctor.
Litau had 14 days to appeal his sentence and conviction. - Sapa