EFF STATEMENT ON KHULUBUSE ZUMA’S ALLEGED OFFSHORE ACCOUNT AND ILLICIT FINANCIAL FLOWS
4 April 2016
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) notes media reports about leaks of "Panama Papers" that Mr. Zuma’s nephew Khulubuse Zuma is named amongst political power players around the world hiding millions of rands in tax havens. The EFF further notes the report about Mr. Zuma’s corrupt relation with the President of Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC), Mr Joseph Kabila, where his nephew is used as a front for corruption.
It is clear Mr. Zuma had one intention when he occupied Presidency office, and it was not the interest of upholding the Constitution or to serve millions of South Africa, but to loot and use state resources such as military to secure mining contracts, and use South African National Defence Force as his own private security firm.
It has now become clear why the current government has no interest in tightening taxation laws to deal decisively with aggressive tax avoidance and illicit financial flows. The EFF has tirelessly raised the matter of weak tax legislation, including submission to the Davis Tax Committee, meeting with South Africa Revenue Services (SARS) Commissioner, letter to the Minister of Finance, and debates in Parliament. Amongst key progressive solutions put forward, it is a recommendation that South Africa must declare tax avoidance illegal, and companies together with individuals who continue to avoid tax aggressively must face strong penalties including imprisonment.
Mr. Zuma and his family continue to undermine South African laws, including the Constitution as clearly shown by the recent Constitutional Court ruling on the Nkandla matter. He has undermine all kinds of legislations simply just to loot state resources, and evidence such as millions hidden in tax havens pocketed by Mr. Zuma and his family clearly shows he is nothing but a thief.
Mr. Zuma and his family are a threat to South Africa’s financial sovereignty, and have rendered key legislations such as exchange controls and taxation administration useless. Mr. Zuma has foregone the right to be treated as a President of the Republic of South Africa and can therefore not be trusted to oversee legislation reform to ensure South Africa deal decisively with aggressive tax avoidance and illicit financial flows.
The EFF call on the Minister of Finance together with SARS and the SA Reserve Bank to investigate breach of exchange controls and taxation administration legislation by Mr. Zuma and the rest of his families in their determination to loot state resources. The EFF will remain at the forefront of defeating corruption precisely because our generational mandate requires strong, corrupt free government that will run the commanding heights of the economy for the attainment of economic freedom in our lifetime.
Statement issued by Economic Freedom Fighters, 4 April 2016
