The South African Communist Party has asked the South African Police Service to finalise its investigation into a donation scandal after an internal audit cleared their secretary general Blade Nzimande, a party statement read on Monday.
”We call on the SAPS to bring this matter to finality and particularly to investigate the probability that both [Charles] Modise and [Willie] Madisha have involved themselves in serious perjury,” the statement continued.
Modise, a controversial businessman, is being investigated by the Scorpions and faces various charges of fraud, forgery and corruption. Cosatu axed Willy Madisha as its president last Wednesday, because he had become isolated from the party leadership.
The SACP audit was set up to investigate the whereabouts of R500 000 donated to the party by Modise. The money was apparently transported in Madisha’s car to Nzimande, but Nzimande has denied ever receiving the money.
”The SACP has already indicated that we have done everything in our power to get to the bottom of this matter and that we can find absolutely no evidence whatsoever that Charles Modise [currently in detention in Kimberley] ever made a donation of R500 000 to the SACP and still less that Willie Madisha passed on this amount to our general secretary, Blade Nzimande.”
This followed an independent audit by SAB&T Chartered Accountants.
”No tangible and corroborating evidence could be located and/or traced so as to substantiate the allegation made by Mr Madisha.”
The SACP also said Madisha had not been able to produce any witnesses.
”It would not have been financially judicious to make more effort to trace these possible witnesses as their possible contribution to a more positive conclusion of the investigation is seriously doubted.”
The SACP condemned ”the manner in which sections of the media, notably the SABC [South African Broadcasting Corporation], continued to refer to this matter as ‘the R500 000 donation to the SACP’ as if this was a reality”.
It was concerned that Cosatu’s move was seen as a ”move against a whistleblower”.
SACP spokesperson Malesela Ledwaba said that the audit report would not be made public.
Gauteng police spokesperson Superintendent Lungelo Dlamini hoped to provide an update on the status of the investigation later on Monday.
Madisha was also suspended as president of the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union in December. Union spokesperson Thulas Nxesi said this was for contradicting the union’s position on the choice of the ”top six” African National Congress candidates ahead of its national conference in Limpopo in December. – Sapa