Hopolang Mokhopi
MINISTER of Finance and Development Planning, Dr Retšelisitsoe Matlanyane, has been accused of attempting to evict her 87-year-old relative, ’Makutlo Mochaoa, from her Mapeleng home in Ha Mabote, Berea and assume ownership of the property herself.
However, the minister has strongly denied the allegations saying she has never harbored any intention to grab her late grandfather’s property.
But her elderly grandmother, ’Makutlo Mochaoa, who was married to Dr Matlanyane’s father’s brother, alleges that the minister instructed her to vacate the property, claiming she had other plans for it. The property is said to have been jointly owned by Ms Mochaoa and her late husband, Tšeliso Mochaoa, who passed away in 2024.
The dispute has escalated to the extent that Mapeleng area headwoman, Mabohlokoa Majara, has summoned Dr Matlanyane to explain the alleged attempt to take over the property.
Records from the Land Administration Authority (LAA) indicate that the site, registered under plot number 13274-2799, belongs to ’Makutlo and Tšeliso Mochaoa.
When the Sunday Express visited the property this past week, Ms Mochaoa appeared frail and emotionally distressed. As she laid on a mattress in her four-roomed home, she said she felt helpless amid the dispute. She now uses diapers and is taken care of by one of the tenants.
“I depend on my old age pension and income from the rental flats you see outside,” she said.
She alleged that her relationship with Dr Matlanyane deteriorated following her husband’s burial.
“She told me she had plans with her uncle’s site and that I should leave. When I asked where I was supposed to go, she said that was my problem. This is my property which I jointly owned with my husband. I do not know what she wants from me,” she said.
Ms Mochaoa further claimed that documents proving ownership of the property had gone missing.
“I had stored all my important documents, including the lease, in a box on top of the wardrobe. I only realised it was missing after I was told to vacate. I suspect it was stolen during my husband’s burial preparations.”
She added that she has no surviving children or siblings.
“I had four siblings and five children, but they have all passed away,” she said.
Chieftainess Majara confirmed she was aware of the dispute and had attempted to mediate.
“I have been trying to contact ’M’e Matlanyane without success. I was referred to her younger sister, who said she was in South Africa studying, and that ’M’e Matlanyane was also out of the country. I am still waiting for them,” Chieftainess Majara said.
Chieftainess Majara added that she had also received reports that Ms Mochaoa’s documents were taken without her consent.
“That site legally belongs to Nkhono (Mochaoa), and as the authority in this area, I must ensure that she lives peacefully in her home,” she said.
However, Dr Matlanyane has strongly denied the allegations, saying she never attempted to evict Ms Mochaoa.
Instead, she claimed it was Ms Mochaoa who asked other family members to leave the property after her husband’s burial.
“Ms Mochaoa is my grandmother because she was married to my grandfather, who was my father’s brother,” she said.
In Sesotho, a father’s brother and a mother’s sister are referred to as grandfather and grandmother respectively, rather than as uncle or aunt.
Dr Matlanyane explained that a family meeting was held after the funeral in the presence of Chieftainess Majara, during which Ms Mochaoa allegedly expressed a desire to live alone.
“The chieftainess informed us that she wanted to stay alone and that we should respect her decision. I have not spoken to her since then,” Dr Matlanyane said.
She added that she has been assisting Ms Mochaoa indirectly through a local church.
“I made a plea to church members to help her without mentioning my name because I did not want to bother her,” she said.
Dr Matlanyane described Ms Mochaoa as “a very difficult person”, saying relations changed after her husband’s death.
“We used to visit and support them while my grandfather was still alive, but everything changed after his passing. We respected the decisions made at the family meeting,” she said.
She dismissed claims that she intended to take over the property.
“Before my grandfather died, they indicated that the site would be given to one of their grandchildren, Bafokeng Mochaoa, and there is a signed document to that effect. I am concerned about who might actually want to take her property,” she said.
Dr Matlanyane added that a family-appointed representative was responsible for handling such matters.
“I cannot be fighting over the Mochaoa property. My brother has been mandated by the family to resolve any issues that arise,” she said.