Suspended South African Communist Party (SACP) member and former treasurer Phillip Dexter confirmed this week that he could find no bank statements reflecting at least R1,1-million cash, allegedly given to the general secretary of the party, Blade Nzimande.
Dexter, who was suspended shortly before the SACP’s congress in June this year for allegedly leaking a document critical of the SACP, said that ‘on the face of it there appears to be a connection†between his suspension and the missing funds.
The missing donations include R500 000 that businessperson Charles Modise reportedly gave to Nzimande and which was delivered by Cosatu president Willie Madisha, as well as R600 000 cash donated by Limpopo MEC for roads and public transport and provincial secretary of the SACP Justice Pitso.
Dexter, who broke his silence on the matter this week, said Pitso told him personally that he had given a R600 000 cash donation to Nzimande.
‘Pitso told me he made two cash donations of R300 000 each to Nzimande. I told him that as the treasurer I’m duty bound to make the party structures aware of these donations and that these donations need to be accounted for,†Dexter said.
Dexter, who has been questioned by the police and who gave a statement to his lawyer concerning the unrecorded donations, said he tried ‘really hard†to account for these donations, but without success.
‘I can confirm that I was approached by Charles Modise earlier this year who demanded official acknowledgement of the R500 000 cash donation he made to Nzimande. As I was still the treasurer then, I told him I will give him a receipt as soon as I’ve located the donation on our donor list and bank statements.â€
Dexter said he was told that the donor lists and bank statements were missing from the office. He then obtained bank statements himself.
‘There were no deposits made during that time. I reflected this in my treasurer’s report due to be submitted at the SACP congress and I discussed it with officials of the SACP. Shortly afterwards I was suspended and an altered version of my report was submitted to congress. I believe that Nzimande saw my report prior to the congress,†Dexter said.
He decided to break his silence on the money given to Nzimande because of ‘a lot of disinformation and an attempt to attack Willie Madisha, which I find completely unacceptableâ€.
Jeremy Cronin, the SACP’s deputy general secretary, refused to comment on whether he knew, before the congress, about the missing funds.
‘We are not trying to protect an individual here, but trying to protect the party. We want to get to the bottom of these issues and as a party we are deeply concerned,†Cronin said.
Pitso again denied having given R600 000 to Nzimande.
Central committee member and member of the politburo Joyce Maloi, who is a business partner of Pitso, said this week that their brickmaking company, Biz Africa, had ‘never made any donations to the SACPâ€.