'I've made massive mistakes'
2009-02-13 07:55
Johannesburg - ANC spokesperson Carl Niehaus offered to resign from his position on Friday morning following news reports that he committed fraud to secure a loan.
"Something like this becoming public... obviously must have consequences for me and... I accept that the ANC will decide about my future," Niehaus told Talk Radio 702.
"I have written a message this morning [Friday] to the secretary general and the treasury general of the ANC and I have offered my resignation.
"I've always been employed by the ANC and I've always accepted the discipline of the ANC. The ANC is not an organisation for me which I consider just to be an organisation. It is my family. It is the organisation I love and I will never do anything deliberately to damage this organisation and I will always accept its discipline."
The weekly Mail and Guardian reported that he allegedly wrote a fraudulent letter while he was chief executive of the Gauteng Economic Development Agency (Geda) and forged signatures in an attempt to secure a loan from a businessman.
Niehaus also allegedly borrowed money from several African National Congress bigwigs to maintain a high standard of living.
"Most of what you have confronted me with is true. I wish it wasn't. I've made massive mistakes and I've disappointed a lot of people terribly. I've no illusions that if you publish this article it will mean the end of my career," he told the Mail and Guardian.
"I asked people like Saki Macozoma, Cyril Ramaphosa, Tokyo Sexwale, Gill Marcus, Pallo Jordan and Rick Mennell to help me financially.
"I was down and out. Some of them gave me money and some didn't. I am terribly indebted. I also received money from Brett Kebble."
He said the slain mining magnate gave him R70 000 for communications work.
"I'm paying R100 000 back because I can't fight the liquidators - there was no contract, only a verbal agreement," said Niehaus.
- SAPA