corruption - The African Mirror

Sep

2020

Ex-first daughter of Angola says no wrongdoing by husband in Swiss corruption probe

NOAH BROWNING THE former first-daughter of Angola Irene Neto has denied any wrongdoing by her husband, a top figure in the oil industry who is the focus of a Swiss money-laundering probe and subject to one of the largest personal asset freezes in Swiss history. Prosecutors say Carlos Manuel de São Vicente's monopoly over insurance and re-insurance for state oil giant Sonangol from 2000 to 2016 culminated in huge bank transfers into accounts in his own name, his companies, wife and family members, according to court documents seen by Reuters. The Geneva-based law firm representing De São Vicente has told…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

South African state firms request bailouts over COVID-19

COVID-19

South African state companies have requested billions of rand in funding from the government to help them weather the impact of the coronavirus crisis, a finance ministry presentation to parliament showed on Tuesday. Loss-making state companies have long been an Achilles heel for Africa’s most industrialised economy, requiring bailouts that have placed its public finances under huge strain at a time of weak economic growth and helped push its sovereign credit rating to “junk” status. The South African Post Office had requested 4.9 billion rand ($292.87 million) in support, broadcaster SABC was seeking 1.5 billion and airports company ACSA had…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

South Africa’s ANC decides officials charged with graft must step aside

NEWS

SOUTH Africa’s governing party executive decided at a weekend meeting that party officials formally charged with corruption and other serious crimes must step aside from their posts, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday. The African National Congress (ANC) has been buffeted in recent weeks by reports of graft during the coronavirus crisis, with state investigators probing irregularities in government tenders worth 5 billion rand ($297 million). Ramaphosa, who replaced scandal-plagued Jacob Zuma as ANC leader more than two and a half years ago, has staked his reputation on rooting out graft but has found it hard to make much progress…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

South African president fights for political life

NEWS

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER South African president Cyril Ramaphosa, engaged in the biggest battle of his political life, has survived a planned political coup by asking the ANC’s integrity committee to investigate accounts of a campaign that financed his campaign for the presidency of the ANC. Sources in the ANC, a party that has been divided into two factions, have revealed that Ramaphosa volunteered to submit himself and the CR17 campaign for a probe into, among others, the R400-million received in donations. Ramaphosa is said to have told the NEC meeting, in his presidential address, that he had also asked the…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

Angola to join oil and extractives transparency group

BUSINESS

Angola plans to join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), an international effort to fight corruption in revenues from oil, gas and mineral extraction. Tete Antonio, Angola's minister of foreign affairs, announced the move on Twitter late on Friday and said Angola "has clearly demonstrated its commitment to promote the open and accountable management of its natural resources for the benefit of its people." EITI, formed in 2003, has more than 50 implementing countries. Angola's President Joao Lourenco has embarked on an anti-corruption drive since taking power from Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who stepped down in 2017 after a near…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

South Africa’s ex-leader Zuma, accused of graft, hits out at successor

NEWS

TIM COCKS SOUTH Africa's former president Jacob Zuma, facing trial for graft, lashed out at his successor Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday, accusing him of betraying the ruling African National Congress (ANC) with his stance against corruption. In an unprecedented attack, Zuma, whose decade in power was marked by multiple corruption scandals that are still being investigated, accused Ramaphosa of bringing the party into disrepute - a sign of growing divisions within the ANC ahead of its national executive committee conference this weekend. Zuma himself faces multiple investigations for corruption, including a trial relating to a $2 billion arms deal before…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

Zambia court acquits health minister accused of corruption

NEWS

A Zambian court has acquitted Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya after ruling that the prosecution had brought insufficient evidence against him. On July 16, Chilufya had appeared before a Lusaka magistrate and denied four counts of corruption. Prosecutors had alleged that the health minister, on four separate occasions, used money believed to be proceeds from crime to acquire property, shares in a tourism firm and a passenger boat from the United Arab Emirates, in the period between December 2016 and January 2018. When the case returned to court on Tuesday, state prosecutor Clifford Moono said the state had no further evidence…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

South Africa investigates COVID-linked corruption of $290 mln

NEWS

SOUTH African authorities are investigating government departments for graft over irregularities in coronavirus-related tenders worth R5 billion ($290 million), the head of its Special Investigating Unit (SIU) told has told lawmakers. The figure is likely to add to pressure on President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ruling African National Congress, who have struggled to deflect criticism from alliance partners and opposition parties as allegations of corruption implicated senior ANC politicians. Ramaphosa, who replaced his scandal-prone predecessor Jacob Zuma in 2017 with promises to eradicate corruption, has battled to root out criminality linked to the fight against COVID-19 in South Africa, which…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

“Let’s reclaim South Africa from corrupt elements”

NEWS

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has called on South Africans from all walks of life must unite and reclaim the country from corrupt elements intent on destroying it. Ramaphosa made the call when he delivered the eulogy at the funeral of John Nkadimeng, the liberation struggle stalwart who passed away at 93. Nkadimeng was buried in Johannesburg following a dignified funeral service attended by a few, in accordance with strict COVID-19 restrictions. The South African president has launched a full-frontal attack on corruption following allegations that the R500-billion set aside to fight COVID-19, has been plundered by corrupt elements,…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

South Africa sets up body to probe COVID-19 corruption

NEWS

SOUTH African President Cyril Ramaphosa has set up a ministerial committee to investigate alleged corruption in state tenders in the fight against COVID-19, his office has said, including with businesses supplying protective gear. Reports of suspect deals between government officials and businesses providing medical equipment, as well as food aid parcels to the poor, have sparked outrage in South Africa, where more than half a million cases of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 to make it the fifth-largest outbreak in the world. South Africa's anti-corruption watchdog said on Monday it was investigating irregularities in these contracts, the latest in a…