By utilizing his son, Duduzane, as an middleman between him and the Gupta household, Jacob Zuma turned the state seize challenge right into a household affair. But utilizing Duduzane on this method didn’t put as a lot distance between Zuma and the Guptas as he may need hoped.
Chief Justice Raymond Zondo discovered Duduzane acted as a “conduit” between the Gupta household and the federal government. According to the newest state seize report, Duduzane labored for a number of years on the Gupta-owned Sahara Computers, the place he grew to become a director. He additionally held 11 directorships in different Gupta-owned firms.
The fee advisable legislation enforcement companies examine the youthful Zuma’s involvement in authorities enterprise. He mentioned Duduzane might have been central to the seize of a number of authorities departments and state-owned entities (SOE), doubtlessly facilitating acts of corruption, and failing to report corruption.
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“[He] also seems to have been involved in appointing key individuals in SOEs who facilitated the capture of those institutions. He seems to have acted as a conduit between the Guptas and government, particularly his father.”
Political financial system analyst Daniel Silke mentioned these had been critical allegations against Duduzane which might affect Duduzane’s ambitions to rise to a future distinguished place within the ANC.
“The allegations could potentially lead to legal consequences for him,” he mentioned.
Zondo mentioned after working at Sahara Computers for a number of years, Duduzane was appointed, on the age of 26, to the board of Mabengela Investments in August 2008 and was given a 25% share within the firm in July 2008, adopted by one other 20% in June 2009. The fee investigators’ examination of public data discovered Duduzane held sizeable shareholdings in Gupta firms.
He “partially owned Shiva Uranium, Tegeta Resources and Exploration, VR Laser and Mabengela Investments. As such, he would have benefitted from the proceeds of corruption, fraud and state capture which involved these companies.”
The acquisition of Optimum Coal Holdings (OCH) by Tegeta Exploration and Resources was a part of what triggered the institution of the fee.
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Zondo mentioned the acquisition was the central focus of former public protector Thuli Madonsela’s investigation, which culminated in her October 2016 state of seize report.
“The investigations of the commission bore out findings of the public protector in relation to the acquisition of OCH and displayed the acquisition a state capture project pursued through unlawful means and funded by proceeds of crime,” he mentioned.
Zondo concluded a minimum of R1.7 billion of the R2 billion used to buy Optimum derived from criminally sourced funds. He discovered that Duduzane acquired R342 million from the deal. Zondo discovered that Duduzane was current when Rajesh “Tony” Gupta provided bribes to people like Mcebisi Jonas, Mxolisi Dukwana and Vuyisile Kona.
Former Free State MEC Mxolisi Dukwana testified he met Rajesh Gupta at Saxonwold and that Duduzane was current. Zondo mentioned Dukwana claimed he was provided a bribe in return for making certain that Nulane Management Services was appointed to a Free State challenge.
Dukwana additional testified Rajesh instructed him a few “Jagersfontein mine deal” the place R3 million was distributed between “Mr Gupta”, Magashule and Duduzane each month.
“According to Mr Dukwana, Mr D Zuma nodded in agreement when this deal was mentioned,” he mentioned.
Zondo discovered Tony Gupta’s technique to affect and intimidate authorities officers connected to state-owned entities was rooted in leveraging his relationship with Duduzane.
“Mr Tony Gupta’s idea was that the government officials and SOE officials would have realised that through Mr D Zuma he had easy access to Mr D Zuma’s father, President Zuma.”
Silke, nonetheless, famous that state seize was not purely remoted to the Zuma household. He mentioned there have been many individuals on this and it was successfully a self-enrichment challenge far past the Zuma household themselves, though Zuma was the chief facilitator, in keeping with Zondo.
“This was a mechanism of sighting money and self-enrichment that was supported by large parts of the ANC,” he mentioned.
– lungas@citizen.co.za