ANC's 'old guard' probe lauded
2008-02-24 18:01
Johannesburg - The United Democratic Movement (UDM) on Sunday welcomed the newly elected African National Congress (ANC) leadership's decision to order a forensic audit on its investment company, Chancellor House.
The Sunday Times newspaper reported on Sunday that the party's leadership had ordered a forensic audit of all empowerment deals and tenders which were received by Chancellor House.
The investigation was expected to look into the roles played by President Thabo Mbeki, his deputy Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and former ANC treasurer-general Mendi Msimang, the paper said.
UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said the audit would go deeper into transactions that were questioned by many people.
He said there should also be a probe into the Oilgate scandal that involved Iran and PetroSA.
"We call on the ANC to support a study by Idasa (Institute for Democracy in SA) and other opposition parties that there is a need to have an act to regulate party-funding." said Holomisa.
Law must take its course
ANC's treasurer-general Mathews Phosa told the Sunday paper that the audit was designed to establish the exact value of the deals as well as to ascertain whether there were any conflicts of interest.
He said that criminal investigations might follow if anything untoward was uncovered.
"The law will have to take its course," he was reported as saying.
Chancellor House Holdings was formed in March 2003.
The investment company has clinched big deals which include a 25% in engineering company Hitachi Power SA.
The company has been awarded Eskom contracts worth R5.8bn, the Sunday Times reported.
- SAPA