The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has filed a criminal complaint against Deputy President David Mabuza, accusing him of being involved in organised crimes.
In the complaint referred to the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) investigating directorate, Outa alleges that Mabuza committed theft, fraud, perjury and intimidation during his tenure as MEC in Mpumalanga in the early 2000s.
The crimes include a land claims scam of over R35-billion and the killing of wildlife.
Outa wants Mabuza, who is accused along with 12 others and two businesses, to be charged under the umbrella offence of contravening section 2(1) of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.
It said in a statement: “The referral of names of 13 individuals including Mabuza and two businesses as suspects, asking that they be charged under the umbrella offence of contravening section 2[1] of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act [Poca], which refers to racketeering activities, in that they acquired or maintained, directly or indirectly, interest in or control of the following criminal enterprises: a land restitution scam involving obtaining beneficial control of vast tracts of land [sometimes fraudulently] and selling the land at inflated prices to the land claims commission; and a Problem Animal Fund enterprise, which generated income by killing wildlife and aiding and abetting the land restitution scam.”
According to Outa, penalties for convictions on Poca crimes include fines of up to R1-billion or life imprisonment.
“Offences committed in furtherance of the criminal enterprise are believed to include: defeating the ends of justice, theft, fraud, perjury, contempt of court, intimidation, extortion, and conspiracy, incitement or attempt to commit offences listed in Poca,” said Outa CEO Wayne Duvenhage in his affidavit.
“Outa’s interest in this complaint is the damage done to the South African and Mpumalanga economy because of corrupt interests in land restitution and the wildlife sector in Badplaas in Mpumalanga.
“In 2015, retired judge William Heath described the loss to the local economy in Badplaas as follows: These actions have destabilised the local rural economy, causing loss of investment confidence and damages which has been calculated to more than R35-billion in lost investment and revenue, lost foreign exchange and taxes to the government, and the loss of more than 6 000 local jobs. This is devastating in an area with an unemployment rate of 75%.
“The case revolves around the claims of corruption which conservationist and whistleblower Fred Daniel has raised over several years and, although much has been written and exposed about this matter, law enforcement has failed to take effective action.”
To read more political news and views, click here.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
