Rabat – Fatima Zahra El Mansouri, Minister of National Planning and Mayor of Marrakech, has publicly addressed recent allegations circulating on social media regarding the sale of family-owned land in the outskirts of Marrakech, denouncing them as baseless and malicious.
In a detailed statement shared with the public, El Mansouri clarified that the land in question is part of a private inheritance belonging to her late father, Si Abdelrahman El Mansouri, who legally purchased the property in 1978 from private owners—not from the state or any public institution, contrary to the claims being spread.
“These lands are private property, not state-owned nor part of tribal or communal lands,” El Mansouri emphasized, noting that the inheritance process began only after her mother’s death in 2023, in accordance with Moroccan legal procedures.
The family-appointed legal representative carried out the land sales transparently and declared all transactions to the tax authorities, which collected the dues accordingly.
El Mansouri also stressed that all proceeds were reinvested into legal and declared projects in Marrakech. The land is located in the rural commune of Tassoultante, under zoning regulations approved in 2017, before El Mansouri held any ministerial or mayoral office.
Rejecting what she described as “defamatory campaigns” targeting her and her extended family, El Mansouri reaffirmed her compliance with legal requirements. She said she declared her assets to the Court of Auditors since first being elected mayor in 2009—a process that included this land and is accessible to the public under the right to information.
“Constructive and responsible criticism is welcome,” El Mansouri added, “but my integrity and my family’s reputation must not be dragged through unfounded rumors.” She confirmed that the family’s legal representative has filed a lawsuit against those behind the misleading leaks.
El Mansouri urged journalists, civil society actors, and the public to verify information before sharing it. Instead of engaging in unproven allegations and crediting smear campaigns, she concluded, journalists’ work should be in service of transparency, truth, and the public good.
