State capture inquiry: Eskom forced to conclude multibillion-rand Tegeta coal supply deal in just 48 hours
There was considerable pressure on Eskom to conclude a coal deal with Gupta-linked Tegeta in less than 48 hours in 2015, the state capture commission of inquiry has heard.
This emerged from one of the commission’s evidence leaders, Kate Hofmeyr, on Tuesday.
Hofmeyr was addressing commission chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo before she presented the evidence of Eskom’s now deceased executive, Mark Van Der Riet, and acting managing director, Daniel Mashigo.
Former Mozambican Finance Minister Manuel Chang could be extradited to the US or Mozambique in connection with financial crimes.
Chang is expected to hear his fate in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
According to a report, Chang was arrested in South Africa on December 29 on a warrant from the US, where he is wanted on allegations of conspiracy to commit fraud and taking millions of dollars in bribes in a $2bn loan scandal.
South African prosecutors formally filed the US extradition request in a Johannesburg court on February 5, the report stated.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation also later confirmed receiving an extradition request from Mozambique.
Earlier this month, Chang was denied bail in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court.
He argued that his detention was unlawful and that his extradition, if carried out, would also be illegal.
But Magistrate Sagra Subroyen said releasing him would undermine SA’s criminal justice system.
The magistrate also said there were some months where there was no movement in Chang’s bank accounts and questioned “how he went about his living”.
Subroyen said Chang failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that he was a suitable candidate for bail.
“The applicant is a person of influence and may very well have his way in returning to his home country, despite his travel documents being handed into relevant officials,” said Subroyen.
The Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court is expected to decide on Tuesday whether he will be extradited.
Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) boss Robert McBride’s fight for his job returns to court on Tuesday.
This is after he was left in limbo about his future as head of IPID on February 12 after reaching a settlement agreement in legal proceedings he had instituted against Minister of Police Bheki Cele.
In a draft order handed to the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, the parties agreed that the decision Cele had taken to not renew McBride’s term as IPID executive director was a preliminary decision that was still to be confirmed or rejected by the Portfolio Committee on Police.
“It is recorded that the second respondent (the portfolio committee) intends to take a decision regarding the renewal of [McBride]’s appointment on or before 28 February,” read the order.
“It is recorded that the second respondent (the portfolio committee) intends to take a decision regarding the renewal of [McBride]’s appointment on or before 28 February,” reads the order.
The matter was postponed to the urgent court roll and was set down for Tuesday.
On Monday, the Portfolio Committee on Police deliberated on the renewal of McBride’s contract, which comes to an end on Thursday.
While the ANC was of the view that there was a breakdown of trust between McBride and Cele and that the IPID’s performance under McBride wasn’t up to scratch, The DA said the ANC would rue the day when McBride was removed.
The committee dealt with submissions it had requested from Cele and McBride.
In his submission to the committee, Cele said there was “prima facie evidence” that McBride was not fit to be executive director.
But McBride said Cele’s allegations were “feeble“.
In response to Cele’s submission, he added that the minister’s decision to not extend his term for another five years was political.
An intelligence driven operation led to the arrest of a drug dealer in Moreleta Park with drugs estimated at over R700 000.
Police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubele said the alleged drug was well-known and was arrested in the early hours of Saturday morning.
“The management of police in Gauteng has welcomed the arrest of the known drug dealer. An intelligence-driven operation led police to the residence of the suspect and to a self-storage facility in Silverton, Pretoria where police, with the help of yet another K9 hero, “Angel”, found 56 bags of heroin with an estimated weight of 5.6kg. The estimated value of the drugs was more than R700 000, pending forensic determination.”
Makhubele said the suspect will be charged with possession of and dealing in drugs.
“This suspect is one of the 601 suspects arrested in various operations conducted at the Tshwane district. The suspects were arrested for crimes ranging from murder, rape possessions of stolen property and other cases.
“Drug infestation in communities has become a serious concern for the police and hence the adoption of the fight against the scourge as one of the provincial commissioner’s priorities,” he said.
Meanwhile, police in Ekurhuleni arrested 181 suspects during stop and search operations, raiding of wanted suspects and patrols at the hotspots.
Makhubele said the suspects were arrested for drunk and driving, assault common, robbery, malicious damage to property and theft.
In the Johannesburg district, 99 suspects were arrested during various operations and counterfeit goods were confiscated.
Makhubele said a total number of arrested suspects was 881.
The suspects will be appearing at various Gauteng Magistrate’s Courts in due course.
An Uber driver and another man have been arrested for the robbery and bloody shoot-out that took place at Edenvale High School on Thursday.
The two robbers died in the shootout at the school and police later arrested three robbers.
A third suspect was found a street away in one of the getaway vehicles in possession of an R5 rifle and a pistol.
The suspects were arrested at separate locations on Friday. The Uber driver was found in possession of the cash believed to have been robbed at gunpoint from the school. The other suspect was found at hiding place in Edenvale.
Police spokesperson Kay Makhubele said so far they have arrested six suspects in connection with the robbery.
Makhubele said the Uber vehicle driver claimed that he was hijacked by the robbers when he was outside the school to pick up a learner. Police investigations revealed that the driver was seemingly in on the robbery.
The school’s principal, Dr Larry Harmer, told the media outside the school that a suspect came to the gate and said that he wanted to fetch his child. Upon entry, he asked for the keys to the safe.
“We gave him the keys to the safe but there was no money as we never keep money on the property.”
@EdenvaleHigh My son was in the hall during the robbery today. I want to thank the teachers for being so strong – when the hall doors were shut they manned the doors, putting themselves at risk, & other teachers ran to other classrooms to warn them. Thank you #edenvalehighschool
“It is alleged that one suspect arrived at the school and informed security guards that he had come to pick up a learner. While security guards were opening for him, more armed suspects entered, driving a van. It is alleged that the suspects proceeded to the offices where they held the principal at gunpoint and robbed him of an undisclosed amount of cash.
“Police were alerted about the robbery in progress and responded swiftly. The suspects started shooting at the police and two suspects were fatally shot, one suspect wounded and two arrested. Later on, police located one of two getaway vehicles a street away, where they arrested the fourth suspect in possession of an R5 rifle and a pistol,” said Makhubele.
A total of five firearms were recovered: one AK47, one R5 and three pistols.
Makhubele said the suspects will appear in the Edenvale Magistrate’s Court on charges of business robbery, possession of unlicensed firearms and attempted murder.
A taxi roll-over on a dirt road in the Ncwadi area, KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday morning has left one man dead and eleven others injured.
Meanwhile, in a separate accident in Howick also in KZN, two men were injured following a collision between a bakkie and truck on the R617.
ER24 paramedics, along with other services, arrived on the scene in Ncwadi to find a stationary taxi on the left-hand side of the road.
“One man was found lying near the vehicle while several other people were found walking around on the scene,” ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring said on Saturday.
Upon arrival paramedics found that the taxi driver, a man in his 30s showed no sign of life and was declared dead on the scene.
The eleven other passengers that survived were treated at the scene for minor to moderate injuries.
“The patients were treated for their injuries and were thereafter transported to provincial hospitals for further care,” Meiring added.
In the second incident in Howick, ER24 paramedics, along with another service, arrived on the scene at 06:25 to find a small bakkie far off the side of the road.
“Two men, believed to be in their 30s, were found seated on the roadside,” Meiring said.
Upon completing assessment of the two men, paramedics found that they sustained minor to moderate injuries.
“The men were treated for their injuries, and the one man provided with pain-relief medication, before they were transported to nearby hospitals for further treatment,” Meiring added.
Circumstances surrounding both incidents were being investigated.
The community of Bonteheuwel in Cape Town is reeling from yet another murder in the suburb after a man’s body was found in a street with a stab wound.
An eyewitness told News24 on Saturday that the deceased was “violently stabbed with a trail of blood [stretching] about 100m to where he was found”.
Western Cape police confirmed that they were investigating the murder of an 18-year-old man on Saturday.
“The circumstances surrounding the death of an 18-year-old man are being investigated after his body was discovered in Taaibos Road Bonteheuwel this morning at around 05:15 with a stab wound,” the police’s André Traut said.
“If this is a murder, which assumed, it takes Bonteheuwel’s 2019 total to 17,” Bonteheuwel councillor Angus McKenzie said on Saturday.
Traut could not confirm the amount of gang-related murders in the area, due to a moratorium on crime statistics.
In January alone, police were investigating three separate gang-related incidents in the area in what was suspected to be a flare up of gang-related violence.
McKenzie claimed the millions spent thus far on the province’s Anti-Gang Unit had been “ineffective”.
He accused the ANC of prioritising “cheap party politics” over peace in the Bonteheuwel community ahead of the 2019 May elections.
“Those tasked to protect us seemingly don’t care that number 18 is rapidly becoming a reality rather than doing everything in their power to avoid it,” McKenzie said, referring to the next possible gang-related death.
“What more motivation is needed for the custodians of safety and security; the national police minister and the president to realise they are failing our communities,” McKenzie concluded.
He further appealed to the police ministry to deploy the army to Bonteheuwel, claiming the police had failed to fulfill their duty to provide safety.
Police Minister Bheki Cele has previously rejected calls to deploy the army to crime-ridden Cape Town streets, saying the army was not trained to deal with civilians.
He also said the rate of crime in the Western Cape had not reached the point that necessitated the deployment of the armed forces.
He told Parliament’s portfolio committee on police earlier this month that the Western Cape has received the most resources from his department since the launch of the anti-gang unit.
The DA meanwhile were campaigning for provincial police services in the run-up to the 2019 general elections.
Policing is currently a national mandate of the South African Police Services (SAPS). The setting up of a provincial police service would require a change in legislation.
Workers at the beleaguered services firm African Global Operations (AGO) – formerly known as Bosasa – were shut out of their offices on Friday, as confusion over their futures continues to grow.
A senior worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the appointment of the new administrator and reports that the banks had closed Bosasa accounts had staffers worried.
“We don’t know if there is a future for us here. We are panicking and no one has explained to us what’s happening here. We have parked our vehicles on the streets because we don’t know if they are safe inside the building,” he said.
The employee said many of the workers wanted government to take over the 10 Bosasa-serviced facilities.
“We have facilities that already belong to the Department of Social Development and we demand government to take them over and insource us as workers. We have the relevant experience and we call that the department must let us continue working where we are working now.
“We don’t know what to do. We are in the dark and no one is explaining to us what is the way forward,” he said.
Of the 10 youth facilities that are managed by AGO, only one in Gauteng is privately owned, while the rest are controlled by government.
Another senior employee, who also wanted to remain anonymous, said AGO’s finances were in “a mess”.
“The administrator is going to be shocked when he checks out books. It’s a mess. Nothing in our books is in order. He is going to work hard to ensure that the books are in order,” he said.
On Thursday, a Johannesburg-based insolvency practitioner told News24 that he had moved to secure documents and computers at AGO’s head offices.
The Master of the High Court in Johannesburg appointed the liquidator to oversee the winding up of the company and around 10 of its subsidiary entities.
The judicial commission of inquiry into state capture continues with testimony from Eskom board chairperson Jabu Mabuza, as investigators delve into alleged corruption at the power utility.
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09:55
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State capture inquiry: Eskom chairperson Jabu Mabuza to take the stand
All eyes are expected to be on Eskom board chairperson Jabu Mabuza, who is scheduled to be the first witness at the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture on Friday as investigators delve into alleged corruption at the power utility.
Mabuza’s testimony comes after the commission’s legal team spent two days setting the scene about the alleged state capture of state-owned entities (SOEs) by shining the spotlight on Eskom.
Their work included a full gap analysis report, which sought to highlight existing reports or findings on Eskom, and statements which had been placed before the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises.
The commission set down the next three weeks to focus on the power utility.
09:55
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ANALYSIS:
Breaking some bones: The plans for SA’s reformation
On Wednesday, before tabling his first budget vote in the National Assembly, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni cut a totally different figure than his immediate predecessors.
In 2017 Pravin Gordhan was under siege and warding off repeated attacks from then-president Jacob Zuma while attempting to pacify sceptical financial markets. The strain showed and he used the Budget platform to rally national support.
In 2018 Malusi Gigaba was visibly crestfallen, having just lost his political patron Zuma, who had been removed after a series of strategic manouevres by President Cyril Ramaphosa. He was out of his depth and knew he was on his way out.
09:54
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ICYMI:
Nenegateimpact was long lasting, Zondo commission hears
National Treasury economist Catherine MacLeod told the state capture commission of inquiry that South Africans were worse off after Nhlanhla Nene’s removal as finance minister in December 2015, as a result of financial market movements caused by political uncertainty.
MacLeod was testifying before inquiry chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, on Tuesday.
Her testimony corroborated that of National Treasury director-general Dondo Mogajane.
In a move which South Africans later dubbed Nenegate, Nene was replaced by Des van Rooyen, who was only in the post for a weekend before he was replaced by Pravin Gordhan. Gordhan is now Minister of Public Enterprises.
09:54
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ICYMI:
ANC accepted Bosasa millions for years
Former ANC treasurer general Zweli Mkhize has admitted that the party accepted donations from Bosasa despite public allegations of corruption, including paying bribes for tenders shrouding the Krugersdorp-based firm.
Mkhize made the admission after being questioned about a 2014 photograph snapped at ANC headquarters, Luthuli House, that shows a Bosasa delegation including Bosasa CEO Gavin Watson and chairperson Joe Gumede with Mkhize.
Mkhize is seen handing over what appears to be a gift bag emblazoned with a picture of former presidents Nelson Mandela and Jacob Zuma with the words: “Thank you for your support to the ANC in 2014”. According to Mkhize, the picture was taken following an “introductory meeting” between Bosasa executives and himself and he could not specifically recall the photograph.
09:54
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ICYMI:
I am in the dark over what went wrong at Eskom – Molefe
Former Eskom chief executive Brian Molefe says he is in the dark about current problems faced by the power utility, which have seen the return of crippling power cuts as the company battles operational challenges.
Speaking to eNCA on Sunday morning, Molefe said he did not want to apportion blame about what could have occurred at the firm he led between April 2015 and November 2016.
In 2016, former president Jacob Zuma declared that there would be no more power cuts, following a visit to Eskom’s headquarters.
During the interview, Molefe was asked what had gone wrong between that period and now, and he responded: “I don’t know, because since we have said that three years have passed, and the lights didn’t go off and then they went off.”
09:54
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ICYMI:
Des van Rooyen wants to cross-examine former Treasury DG Lungisa Fuzile
Des van Rooyen, who was appointed finance minister by former president Jacob Zuma for a calamitous weekend in December 2015, wants to apply for leave to cross-examine former Treasury director general Lungisa Fuzile at the state capture commission of inquiry.
Van Rooyen has also indicated his interest in testifying before the commission.
But inquiry chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, postponed the application, saying that a fresh date would have to be arranged.
“It is important that this commission be fair to all parties,” he said.
09:54
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ICYMI:
The multibillion-rand Bosasa state contracts likely to be affected by the company’s impending liquidation
Beleaguered facilities management and security company Bosasa, now known as African Global Operations (AGO), announced on Monday that the company was under voluntary liquidation.
The decision comes after the company’s main banking institution, First National Bank, communicated it would close the company’s banking facilities by 28 February, 2019.
AGO and its directors have been accused of corruption and bribery in exchange for state contracts since at least 2008. The details of this alleged corruption was exposed during testimony by former Bosasa chief operations officer Angelo Agrizzi before the state capture commission of inquiry.
