28 November 2011
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PRESS RELEASE
Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Enoch Godongwana (a real oxymoron – DM of Economic Development), has violated the Parliamentary Code of Conduct again. I will be writing to Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests for the second time to report Deputy Minister Godongwana's violation of the rules.
This morning it was reported in the Star that the Deputy Minister received a R1.9 million plot from the Tyalibongo trust, but the latest register of member's interests does not include any information on this trust under Deputy Minister Godongwana's name.
This follows shortly after the Deputy Minister failed to disclose his interests in Canyon Springs Investments - a company that reportedly defrauded textile workers' pension funds.
Deputy Minister Godongwana has consistently attempted to conceal the true value of his assets, preferring to hide the information under layers of trusts and holding companies.
When questioned about the failure to disclose his R1.9 million plot, the Deputy Minister said that it was held in the Tyalibongo trust and therefore he didn't directly own it. But this raises two serious questions:
• Why isn't his interest in Tyalibongo trust disclosed; and
• Why, if the Deputy Minister is both listed as the primary donor and beneficiary of the trust, is this R1.9 million plot not disclosed under the "property" section of the Register of Members' Interests?
There are three undeniable facts that cast serious suspicion over the integrity of this Deputy Minister. We know he had an interest in Canyon Springs Investments. We know that Canyon Springs Investments defrauded textile workers' pension funds. And we know that the Deputy Minister has done everything in his power to conceal his financial information from Parliament.
With these three facts in mind I will insist that the Parliamentary Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests conduct a full investigation into the Minister's failure to declare his assets.
Kobus Marais, DA Spokesperson on Economic Development
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Meanwhile the Times Live reports:
Workers' pensions shock
PHILANI NOMBEMBE The inquiry investigating the loss of textile workers' pensions has heard that some of the money placed in a trust of a former clothing union consultant could have been used to buy a multimillion-rand Cape Town property and a luxury car.
Erwin da Gama, a friend of the consultant, Richard Kawie, was testifying in the liquidation inquiry of Canyon Springs, a company linked to Deputy Economic Development Minister Enoch Godongwana.
Canyon Springs is accused of borrowing R93-million from Trilinear Capital, which manages provident funds for the South African Clothing and Textile Workers Union.
Godongwana's wife, Thandiwe, is a director of Canyon Springs, which was supposed to repay the loan in three instalments but has failed to do so, leaving more than 15000 workers in limbo.
Da Gama told the inquiry that his company, Leading Prospect, was used as a "conduit" to move R15-million from Canyon Springs to Pasima, a family trust run by Sam Buthelezi, owner of the Trilinear group of companies.
Da Gama said he paid R13-million of the money into the trust and some of it to Kawie's lawyers. He admitted that his two other companies owed Canyon Springs R4-million.
He said the R15-million loan agreements he signed were not "genuine" and that the liquidators should order Kawie and Buthelezi to repay the money.
The union's counsel, Gavin Woodland SC, said Kawie's family trust, in which Da Gama was a trustee, bought property in upmarket Noordhoek for R4.5-million and a BMW 528i used by Kawie's wife, Vanya, apparently with money from Canyon Springs.
He urged Da Gama to cooperate with the liquidators. Both Kawie and Buthelezi have launched court actions apparently to avoid testifying before the inquiry. Kawie is expected to testify today.
29 November, 2011
3 comments:
so many fingers in the pie & the poor workers suffer at the hands of their own.
makes the Newcastle fiasco pale into insignificance.
Too many "friends-with-benefits". talk about mixing business with pleasure. Kawie is a consultant to the funds but Buthelezi lives in Kawie's house. Kawie's company provide a loan to Da Gama yet Da Gama is a trustee in Kawie's family trust. 15000 workers with no pension AND what about the poor trilinear staff who are yet to be paid their last salary......Buthelezi and Kawie where have you hidden the millions...is there enough left for the KY you are going to need
Too many workers suffering...
It cannot go further this way.
Please, do something!
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