Stefaans Brmmer
Guest Author
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/ 15 July 2005

Trading principle for profit

This is the story of how South Africa’s ruling party offered solidarity to Saddam Hussein in exchange for crude oil — and how state resources were used to help the party in this ambitious fundraising project. The story is important for it reveals not only how the party subordinated principle to profit, but also how it engaged in business through what was effectively a front company.

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/ 2 May 2005

Housing scandal man advising Sisulu

The man who presided over South Africa’s biggest housing scandal eight years ago is back — as special adviser to Minister of Housing Lindiwe Sisulu. Saths Moodley resigned as executive chair of the Mpumalanga Housing Board in May 1997 as the <i>Mail & Guardian</i> exposed what became known as the Motheo scandal.

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/ 22 April 2005

Denel under new pressure

Beleaguered arms company Denel is facing a new round of pressures following press reports in India that the ministry of defence has scrapped a multibillion-rand deal to buy South African G-6 howitzers. The doubt cast over the Indian deal will add to the headaches of incoming Denel CEO Sean Liebenberg, who has been brought into turn around the ailing parastatal.

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/ 15 April 2005

Denel: R100m ‘kickback’ probe

The Scorpions are probing whether part of a R100-million sweetener paid to a Saudi Arabian agent by arms manufacturer Denel has flowed back to South Africa in the form of kickbacks. Possible recipients included in the inquiry are former directors and officials of Denel, the late defence minister Joe Modise, the African National Congress, and well-known ANC fund-raiser and a confidant of Nelson Mandela, Yusuf Surtee.

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/ 1 April 2005

Annan: The South African connection

Kojo Annan, son of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, extended his lobbying efforts to South Africa on behalf of a company that became a prime contractor to the world body. Details of the younger Annan’s local visit are contained in a 144-page report released this week.

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/ 18 March 2005

Oh dear, Mr Mbuli …

Documents obtained by the Mail & Guardian belie claims by former Vista University administrative chief Reuben Mbuli that there was no conflict of interest when he accepted a hefty ”retainer” from a businessman trying to secure work from the university. These documents rubbish claims that the ”retainer” was received for private legal work, as Mbuli claimed in a letter to the M&G a fortnight ago.