In the week that the African National Congress Youth League again endorsed Deputy President Jacob Zuma to succeed President Thabo Mbeki, a raft of new evidence concerning the allegedly corrupt relationship between Zuma and Durban businessman Schabir Shaik emerged at the Shaik trial.
The state used its final witnesses — all investigators for the Scorpions — to table documents allegedly demonstrating how Shaik used Zuma’s name and influence to further his business interests — and how Zuma apparently colluded in this process.
The state alleges that Shaik paid Zuma for this support. Shaik admits making payments and loans to Zuma but denies this was done corruptly.
The documents tabled include:
An affidavit apparently claiming Zuma directly interceded with the developers of Durban’s Point Waterfront in a bid to have Shaik’s Nkobi group allocated a share in the project;
Letters from Shaik indicating that Zuma, at Shaik’s behest, arranged a meeting between then safety and security minister Steve Tshwete, Shaik and British businessman Grant Scriven to enable Scriven and Shaik to present a proposal for the privatisation of the police motor vehicle fleet;
A letter in which Shaik upbraids Tshwete for his failure to respond to a post-meeting communication, which he notes, “was arranged through the office of the deputy president”;
A subsequent letter from Scriven to Shaik suggesting that Shaik’s words had had an effect, as he reports he had “bear hugs from the DP [deputy president] at the ‘Party’ in front of the Cabinet and 2000 [of the] great and good of SA”. Scriven says: “now transport and police ministers [are] adopting my family”;
A letter to Kuwaiti businessman Fouad Alghanim in which Shaik says “my close friend and long-time political comrade [25 years] has been appointed Deputy President of South Africa, Mr Jacob Zuma. He has appointed me as his Special Economic Adviser and I am indeed honoured to work with this man who is the second most influential person within the African National Congress Party.” Shaik adds that “Both the Deputy President and I shared a long time common economic goal, i.e. to establish an investment bank … This is surely one of the key issues of a discussion, given a meeting with him.”
An internal report from the French defence company Thomson CSF on a briefing by Shaik on other business opportunities he wished to pursue with the help of Thomson. Shaik is quoted as citing the allocation of further shares in the Airports Company of South Africa and the development of the La Mercy airport. The report noted: “If Thomson-CSF can help to form consortiums for the airports or any other project, Mr Zuma and Mr Schabir Shaik are ready to come to Paris immediately to give a full account of the projects.”
A December 1997 note from Shaik’s father-in-law, prominent Durban businessman Ahmed Vahed, to Shaik, in which he states: “When your friend becomes Deputy President [of the ANC] — you will be in the pound seat!!!”
Earlier in the week the state recalled forensic auditor Johan van der Walt, who testified that as of late last year Zuma owed Shaik about R2-million, even taking into account the defence version of the so-called “loan agreement” with Zuma.
Last year the defence revealed a loan agreement apparently showing repayment terms of loans from Shaik to Zuma.