AFRIFORUM REQUESTS HAWKS TO INVESTIGATE MOST RECENT REVELATIONS ABOUT MALEMA
AfriForum will request the Hawks' investigating team, who is currently investigating a case of corruption against Julius Malema, to inspect the alleged influence that Julius Malema and his Ratanang Family Trust indirectly may have on the awarding of tenders by Limpopo's Department of Roads and Transport through the company On-Point Engineering (see Mail & Guardian report). The Hawks will also be asked to determine whether any donations received by Malema's trust are directly or indirectly received from companies which obtained tenders in this province.
AfriForum's actions follow after a report in the Mail & Guardian that the Ratanang Family Trust owns shares in the company On-Point Engineering, which administrates Limpopo's roads budget of R4,6 billion. According to the newspaper, On-Point was contracted in 2009 already to administer the roads budget over a period of three years at a fee of R52 million, and this would indicate that Malema is able to at least indirectly influence the awarding of tenders in the province.
According to Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, the request to the Hawks comes in addition to his company's initial charge of corruption against Malema, which the Hawks is currently investigating. AfriForum initially laid the charge against Malema after City Press and Rapport reported that Malema allegedly uses the Ratanang Family Trust as a medium to receive payment from businessmen in exchange for Malema's assistance to secure government tenders. It is also alleged that businessman Matome Hlamboa, who obtained approximately R200 million in government tenders in Limpopo, provides Malema with a vehicle to the value of R1,2 million and also did him a number of other favours.
Kriel indicated that AfriForum is determined to ensure that politicians, who misuse their contacts to enrich themselves at the cost of poor people, will be called to accountability.
AfriForum's case number for the charge of corruption against Malema is MAS 747/7/2011.
Statement issued by Kallie Kriel, CEO: AfriForum, August 5 2011
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