ANC must come clean - DA

2004-02-22 14:13

Johannesburg - The African National Congress needs to set the record straight about fund-raising activities linked to an oil scandal, Democratic Alliance spokesperson and member of Parliament Raenette Taljaard said on Sunday.

South African voters deserved to know whether Saddam Hussein's crude oil was bankrolling the ANC's 2004 election campaign, Taljaard said.

"Further revelations are made in today's Sunday Times of possible benefits flowing to the ANC from the former Baa'thist regime in Iraq in a global oil-for-diplomatic-patronage scandal."

The close ties between Sandile Majali of Imvume Resources and ANC heavyweights Mendi Msimang and Kgalema Motlanthe, as well as Majali's alleged bankrolling of a R40 000 ANC dinner for former Iraqi Prime Minister Taariq Aziz, created an inescapable impression of improper links, she said.

"The ANC government cannot maintain its silence on this growing scandal."

Irresponsible statements by Motlanthe that the ANC had a good relationship with the Baa'th Party in Iraq would cost South Africa's diplomatic standing.

"It is disgraceful that foreign affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma failed to provide clear answers to questions about this scandal in the National Assembly.

"This means that the world will think that the ANC's morals and the foreign policy positions of the South African government can be bought with no principles attached."

The DA was even more concerned about allegations that the ANC benefited directly from these dirty dealings.

Mbeki must also set the record straight about the involvement of the Presidency in the establishment of the Research and Security Development (RSD) Trust, and the role of this trust in the privatisation of Aventura, said Taljaard.

- SAPA