Sexwale's Mvela paid Malema
2012-05-13 15:45
Jacques Pauw, Adriaan Basson and Carien du Plessis, City Press
Johannesburg - A company started and partly owned by Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale paid at least R100 000 into expelled ANC Youth League president Julius Malema’s family trust.
The revelation comes as Sexwale is seriously stepping up a new campaign to become ANC president.
City Press has learnt that:
» Sexwale hopes to capitalise on the so-called ABZ (“Anything But Zuma”) regions, particularly in the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Western Cape and Gauteng;
» His support is increasing amid growing impatience under opponents of President Jacob Zuma over Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe’s apparent reluctance to step up to challenge Zuma; and
» Sexwale hopes to use his complaint to Public Protector Thuli Madonsela about Lieutenant General Richard Mdluli as an anti-corruption rallying point.
City Press can reveal that a multi-agency investigation into allegations of fraud, corruption and tax evasion against Malema and his allies has found proof of a payment from Mvelaphanda Holdings to Malema’s Ratanang Family Trust.
Three independent sources with knowledge of the probe confirmed that a R100 000 payment from Mvelaphanda to the trust in December 2010 was detected.
Donations
Neither Sexwale nor Mvelaphanda chief executive Mikki Xayiya denied the payment.
“Mvelaphanda Holdings, which Sexwale...is no longer in charge of, has always been and is at liberty in terms of the law to make donations to any trusts involved in social development,” said Sexwale’s spokesperson, Xolani Xundu.
“Therefore, if it provided any donations to any such trusts, it would not be a secret to be ‘discovered’, for instance, by the Hawks, as such donations would be well known to the Master of the Court and to [the SA Revenue Service].”
Xayiya said his company did not respond to “media speculation”.
“Mvelaphanda Holdings is a private company with a social conscience. From time to time, we make donations to worthy causes. However, we leave it to the respective beneficiaries and individual recipients to disclose our specific contribution, if we made any at all.”
Malema’s lawyer said the former youth leader’s tax affairs were confidential.
Sexwale is widely regarded as a Malema sympathiser and pleaded for mercy for him during the firebrand’s ANC disciplinary hearing.
City Press has been reliably told that investigators are looking into the possibility of further Mvelaphanda payments into the trust.
Cheap politics
Xundu rejected suggestions that Sexwale bought Malema’s influence, saying it was “cheap politics and laughable to perpetuate the myth and urban legend that a political freedom fighter of Minister Sexwale’s standing and track record would need to ‘purchase’ any political influence. The man’s stature speaks for itself.”
On Friday, Sexwale appeared on stage with Zuma at the ANC’s KwaZulu-Natal provincial conference in Newcastle. He was deployed by the ANC to attend.
He participated in the singing of pro-Zuma songs. Among the songs sung was “Washis’ iskipa sikaZuma sakufak’ amavolovolo wema!” (loosely translated as, “You burn a Zuma T-shirt, we’ll shoot you!”).
But two sources in Sexwale’s inner circle and two ANC leaders in the Western and Eastern Cape, who are involved in his new campaign, confirmed that the former Gauteng premier and TV host will run against Zuma in Mangaung.
Sexwale has his sights on the two Capes, Limpopo, Gauteng and possibly the Free State. He launched a bid for the presidency in 2007, but backed Zuma after he couldn’t garner enough support.
He was set to address an ANC meeting in the Eastern Cape’s OR Tambo region today, ahead of the region’s conference in two weeks.
Sexwale was quietly addressing church congregations and communities in the hope of becoming “a president in the hearts of the people”, said an inner-circle source.
'Rogue elements'
A Motlanthe lobbyist in Gauteng said those pushing Sexwale as a compromise candidate were in the minority and on the “periphery”.
The lobbyist said “rogue elements around” Sexwale were pushing him to stand, and they are “driven by ambition and greed for business dealings...[and] unfettered access to state resources”.
A list of names with Sexwale’s at the top was circulated among his supporters, with Gwede Mantashe as his deputy, Thandi Modise as chairperson, Fikile Mbalula as secretary general, Senzo Mchunu as deputy secretary general and Paul Mashatile as treasurer general.
Asked whether Sexwale would make himself available as president, Xundu said: “These are internal matters to do with electoral process within the ANC.”
He added that Sexwale would voice his views at the right time and platform. – Additional reporting by Mmanaledi Mataboge and Sabelo Ndlangisa
