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.
The Mail & Guardian has learned that South African involvement in the Iraqi Oil for Food programme, administered by the United Nations between 1996 and 2003, has become one area of focus for investigators probing massive international abuse of the programme.
Outgoing minister of minerals and energy Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka ascends to the second most powerful position in the country with questions on the Oilgate saga still unresolved — and new evidence has emerged that throws doubt on her claim that she adopted a strictly hands-off approach to PetroSA, the parastatal at the centre of the controversy.
This week, the M&G brings you — in full — the story we had to black out a fortnight ago after being gagged write Stefaans Brümmer and Sam Sole.
Over the past fortnight, the African National Congress has maintained that R11-million it received before last year’s elections was an ordinary donation from a private company. But Imvume Management was no ordinary private company, judging by its chief executive’s CV.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.