John Seiler
Former Bophuthatswana strongman Lucas Mangope must be charged for a series of frauds — including the theft of mining royalties and homeland security funds — that total R22-million, according to the report of the Skweyiya Commission.
The report will have massive political repurcussions, as it will be released today by North West Premier Popo Molefe — on the eve of Mangope’s planned congress of his revived United Christian Democratic Party in Rustenburg on Saturday.
A summary of the Final Report Into Corrupt Practices and Irregular Use of Public Funds in Government Departments and Parastatal Departments in Bophuthatswana recommends that the former homeland chief minister be charged for theft and that civil proceedings be launched to get the money back.
The offences listed by Advocate TL Skweyiya, who chaired the commission, include:
* Improvements to Mangope’s personal residence and use of homeland government staff that amounted to R4,5-million.
* Occupation of the Alwynspoort Farm at Groot Marico, which had been used by Mangope as his personal property since 1985. The commission says more than R3-million was lost to the homeland government through this abuse of its property.
* Appropriation of mining roylaties worth some R2,6-million from the Marico Chrome Mining Company which went to Mangope instead of the Bahurutshe- Boo-Manyane tribe.
* Illegal transmission of R10 400 from the homeland’s State Security Council to Mangope’s personal political party, the Bophuthatswana Christian Democratic party. Also implicated in this fraud are former homeland economics minister Ephraim Keikelame and the party itself.
* Charges under the Exchange Control Act for the illegal transfer to overseas banks of R1,3-million.
Skweyiya also recommends that the Office for Serious Economic Offences investigate the use of a staggering R177-million to build a coal-fired power station in Bophuthatswana during Mangope’s rule — a white elephant that has never generated a watt of power.
Bophuthatswana’s former foreign minister Rowan Cronje is listed as having received R75 000 in cash from the homeland’s State Security Council. Skweyiya says the commission was “not convinced that the payments (to Cronje)” are legitimate.
The report indicates strongly that Cronje’s evidence to the commission that the funds were used to pay agents was not credible and reccomends that he be charged in criminal courts.
Although the report contains some strongly worded recommendations, it is clear that Skweyiya has adhered strictly to his terms of reference by avoiding reference to numerous political misdemeanours that took place in the homeland under Mangope’s reign.
However it is clear the African National Congress will make extensive use of the report to discredit Mangope and the United Christian Democratic Party in campaigning during local government elections in the province.
Mangope’s new party is due to have a mass meeting in Rustenburg on Saturday where it is expected he will respond to the Skweyiya reccommendations.