Legalbrief | your legal news hub Sunday 26 September 2021

Limpopo businessmen turn on Malema

While the ANC Youth League yesterday denied allegations that Julius Malema had received money to influence government tender processes, a group of Limpopo businessmen threatened to expose companies with links to Malema, which they said had received provincial tenders irregularly, says a Business Day report.

It notes this could give credence to allegations that businessmen had funded Malema's extravagant lifestyle in exchange for tenders, and put pressure on law enforcement agencies to investigate corruption in Limpopo. The report says League representatives reacted angrily yesterday to Sunday's City Press revelations about Malema's alleged links with Limpopo businessmen. At a press briefing in Johannesburg, they challenged the newspaper to produce proof that money was deposited into Malema's family trust fund in exchange for tenders. But the Forum of Limpopo Entrepreneurs, which is also quoted in an SABC News report, said yesterday the reports shed some light on why the 'same group of boys' were getting tenders in the province. 'There are tenders in this province that were not advertised. These tenders were given to boys who are leaders and members of the Youth League, including Malema's cousin,' the forum's secretary, Siviko Mabunda, is quoted as saying. Full Business Day report Full SABC News report

Limpopo Premier Cassel Mathale has denied the provincial government's tender processes are corrupt. According to a Beeld report, Mathale said reports about Malema - a close friend - are 'misleading and wrong'. He pointed out 44 government officials had recently been sacked for their involvement in fraud and corruption and that 'approximately 40' companies were on the province's corruption blacklist. Local Governance MEC Soviet Lekganyane said two weeks ago 24 companies were placed on the list. ANC secretary-general in the province, Joe Maswanganyi, also condemned the Malema reports as a political strategy to smear its leaders. Full Beeld report

Malema, meanwhile, appears to have gone to ground as the pressure builds to explain how he funds his lavish lifestyle. Institutions across the spectrum have urged investigation of his alleged slush fund. The DA yesterday wrote to Public Protector Thuli Madonsela asking her to investigate Malema, and AfriForum has opened a criminal case against him. A report in The Times notes yesterday's Youth League media briefing, billed as an attempt to 'clear the air', turned into a damp squib when the League's leadership failed to reveal anything about Malema's Ratanang Family Trust, which he has been accused of using to receive cash from businesses that benefit from government tenders. The report says that instead of responding to questions, the Youth League's deputy president, Ronald Lamola, and secretary-general, Sindiso Magaqa, attacked the media, accusing it of trying to divert attention from the League's calls for the nationalisation of mines and the expropriation of land without compensation. Magaqa denied that the trust, registered by Malema in 2008, was a 'secret' fund. He said it had been used openly as a vehicle for donating money to charitable and other organisations. According to a Beeld report, Magaga explained it was 'part of African culture' to share belongings such as the 'borrowed' Range Rover that Malema drives. It is a 'communal lifestyle' and not 'money laundering'. The ANCYL leaders ignored questions on whether it planned legal steps against the newspapers that published the allegations. Full Beeld report Full report in The Times

However, the ANC wants to know more and says it will give Malema a chance to explain the slush fund allegations. 'We will have to speak to Malema before discussing the issue in the media. We want him to explain,' ANC party spokesperson Jackson Mthembu is quoted as saying in a report on the IoL site. The DA also wants to know more, according to a report on the News24 site. Responding to yesterday's media briefing, DA police spokesperson Dianne Kohler Barnard said: '...the ANCYL statement does not address the source of the funds of the Ratanang Family trust and what the funds are in exchange for. The ANCYL has attempted to cloud the issue by making reference to various gifts that the trust has paid for; this is irrelevant. It does nothing to dissuade South Africans, from the conclusion that this dodgy trust is being used to bank roll Mr Malema's lavish lifestyle.' COPE spokesperson Phillip Dexter called on Malema to 'do the right thing' and disclose the source of his funding. 'He must also accept that when people like himself, who so manifestly benefit from donations from the private sector, argue for nationalisation, it is little wonder that the public take what he says with any more than a pinch of salt.' Afrikanerbond chief secretary Jan Bosman said his organisation would like to know the source of Malema's wealth. Investigations by the necessary authorities and a free media would help in having this question answered. Full report on the IoL site Full report on the News24 site See also a Beeld report