A whistle-blower has been subjected to threats after he exposed alleged fraud and corruption in attempts to remove a key player in a court challenge against Cape Town's River Club development, according to a Weekend Argus report.

A chief and founder of the Krotoa of the Goringhaicona, Ebrahim Abrahams, signed an affidavit in which he detailed how some members of the group allegedly worked together with members of the Liesbeek Leisure Properties Trust (LLPT) to defame First Nations leader Tauriq Jenkins.

In return, the members were allegedly promised R2m and a house each.

Abrahams said he now faced threats as a result of the affidavit.

The report says Abrahams’ affidavit was corroborated by those of three other whistle-blowers who also alleged that they were promised that ‘everyone will receive a house and R2m from the developers of what is commonly known as the Amazon development in Observatory’.

According to the affidavits, part of the money was promised to be paid by December 2022. However, none of them received the money.

Acting on behalf of the Goringhaicona Khoi Khoin Indigenous Traditional Council, Jenkins and the Observatory Civic Association launched a court action in 2021 seeking a review of the approvals for the development on the ‘sacred land’.

The development is backed by Amazon, which plans to set up its African headquarters there.

The affidavit also contained screen shots of WhatsApp conversations Abrahams had with, among others, the lawyer Tim Dunn, Aufrichtig and Fyfe.

When the LLPT was asked about the alleged financial offers, meetings and the WhatsApp communications between Abrahams, Aufrichtig and Fyfe, the trust did not respond directly to the questions, says the Weekend Argus report.

Rather, the LLPT responded by denying the allegations and said it had ‘always acted professionally and ethically and with respect for all First Nations individuals and groups’ own agency’.

‘Any suggestion of impropriety is categorically denied and should instead be directed to Mr Tauriq Jenkins, who was found unanimously by a full Bench of the Western Cape High Court to have acted fraudulently for various reasons that were spelt out in the judgment, including when he claimed to represent the Goringhaicona in his legal action against the River Club development,’ said the developer.

Senior Chief Faraah September said: ‘The affidavits now show that our people were bought with promises to sell us out. It’s sad that people’s vulnerability could be used as a divide-andrule tactic.’

September called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to take action to protect the River Club site as an element of the larger Two Rivers Urban Park, identified as part of the National Khoi and San Liberation and Resistance Route.

Jenkins said in light of the new affidavits, it was ‘clear that the judiciary was lied to’.

The LLPT last year got the green light to build the R4.6bn headquarters.

Full Weekend Argus report