/ 28 July 2005

Oilgate: Public protector’s report expected

Public Protector Lawrence Mushwana is expected to release his findings on the probe into the so-called Oilgate affair on Friday. The investigation into claims about the alleged misuse of public money involving state oil company PetroSA -- reported by the <i>Mail & Guardian</i> -- was launched last month.

Public Protector Lawrence Mushwana is expected to release his findings on the probe into the so-called Oilgate affair on Friday.

The investigation into claims about the alleged misuse of public money involving state oil company PetroSA — reported by the Mail & Guardian — was launched last month following a complaint by the Freedom Front Plus.

On Thursday, FF+ MP and minerals and energy spokesperson Willie Spies said his party looks forward to receiving a copy of the report.

The complaint related partly to claims that black empowerment company Imvume Management had paid R11-million, of a sum of R15-million it had received from PetroSA, to the African National Congress before last year’s general elections.

The money was intended to procure oil condensate for PetroSA, which Imvume allegedly never supplied.

The party also called for a probe into the nature of business relationships between Imvume and close relatives of the then minister of minerals and energy — now Deputy President — Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, and of Minister of Social Development Zola Skweyiya.

Mlambo-Ngcuka’s businessman brother Bonga Mlambo allegedly received a payment of R50 000 from Imvume CEO Sandi Majali.

On Wednesday, the Democratic Alliance said the ANC must break its silence over the Oilgate scandal, and explain how millions of rands of taxpayers’ money ended up in the ruling party’s coffers.

”The fact that R11-million-worth of public money was diverted to the ruling party from a parastatal is now common knowledge, and the exact nature and purpose of that transaction needs to be explained to the public,” DA minerals and energy spokesperson Hendrik Schmidt said on Wednesday.

The ANC has yet to issue a single press release on the issue.

”It is now up to the ruling party to take the public into its confidence and break its silence over Oilgate by explaining the full nature of its relationship with Imvume Management,” Schmidt said. — Sapa