Publication: Cape Times Issued: Date: 2007-11-07 Reporter: Thabo Mabaso

Arms Deal Firm Gave Cash to Mandela's Fund, de Lille Claims

 

Publication 

Cape Times
Date

2007-11-07
Reporter Thabo Mabaso

Web Link

 www.capetimes.co.za

 

Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille has stunned Parliament with the allegation that the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund (NMCF) received R500 000 in 1999 from ThyssenKrupp, a German firm that benefited from the arms deal.

De Lille said the ANC and the Community Development Foundation were also given R500 000 each by the multinational, a member of the consortium that built the four frigates *1 for the SA Navy.

She said the funds had been deposited in each case into a Switzerland account of the Credit Swiss First Boston bank.

She urged Parliament to establish a multiparty committee to probe the arms deal afresh.

Speaking under parliamentary privilege, she said: "Allegations that the ANC received money from arms deal suppliers have been speculation up until today. I can now confirm that on the 29th of January 1999, the organisations (mentioned) each received R500 000 from ThyssenKrupp."

De Lille is an NMCF trustee.

The fund said later it had no record of such a payment, while the ANC denied the allegations.

They brought a strong reaction from Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota, who challenged De Lille to dispense with parliamentary privilege and make the accusations outside the chamber.

She should provide evidence of wrongdoing to the authorities *2 or stop such making allegations, he said.

"She must provide evidence about where the money came from ... Is she saying Mandela was a crook and was planning to steal money? I reject with contempt these assertions," Lekota sputtered angrily.

Responding in a media statement later, De Lille said: "This revelation does not reflect on the character of Tata Nelson Mandela, whom I respect and love - and I would never insult him. Minister Lekota's assertion ... hurt me deeply, (the) more so because I am a (fund) trustee."

De Lille was not available to comment on the source of her allegations or whether, as a trustee, she had raised the issue with the NMCF board.

Boitumelo Mdwaba, a spokesperson for the NMCF, denied the fund had received money from ThyssenKrupp. Following persistent media inquiries, it had checked its records and could find no donation from the company *3.

Andrew Feinstein, the former ANC MP and member of the standing committee on public accounts who has written a book on the arms deal, said he had not "heard" that the NMCF and other charities had benefited from the bid winners *4.

"I am convinced from a number of sources that the ANC received money from winning contractors in the arms deal, including from Germany."

The ANC rejected the claims as "well-worn gossip".

"The ANC never received any material benefits from the strategic arms procurement process *5," the party's parliamentary spokesperson, Tiyani Rikhotso, said.

Attempts to contact the Community Development Foundation proved fruitless.

A ThyssenKrupp spokesperson said the company could not comment as investigations into the arms deal were under way.

With acknowledgements to Thabo Mabaso and Cape Times.


*1       The consortium that built four frigates for the SA Navy is the European South African Corvette Consortium (ESACC), two of which's members are Thomson-CSF Naval System (TNS) and African Defence Systems (Pty) Ltd (ADS).

The latter two members jointly provided the frigate combat suites.

The other three German members make up the German Frigate Consortium (GFC), including Thyssen Rheinstahl Teckniek (TRT the latter which was responsible for paying the German bribes while Thomson-CSF International (effective owner of TNS and ADS) was responsible for paying the French bribes.

Now it has been found that the GFC chose Thomson-CSF and ADS as its combat suite partners. At the same time it emerges that the GFC paid bribes to secure the corvette contract.

Does it follow that the supply of the combat suite was also secured by the payment of bribes by the GFC and therefore by ESACC.

In my view, M'Lord, it does.


*2      And what good will that do?


*3      It has long since been suggested that the money went to the Nelson Mandela children's fund and not to the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund.

Some also went to Winnie.


*4      Well, I heard this in about 2001/2002.

From the same person(s) that assisted in compiling the "de Lille Dossier".

And what I heard get's passed on to the correct authorities (which does not include the Sea Point SAPS Police Station).


*5      Well, the multitude of allegations suggest otherwise.

But what about the donation from one Arms Deal supplier to fund the writing of the history of the ANC?

That sounds like a material benefit for a political party.


In this case the smoke has risen to a temperature inviting spontaneous combustion.

Can fire chief Mbeki and deputy fire chiefs Lekota, Selebi, et al, contain it?

They can here, but not in Germany.

In the meantime things will smoulder on until we can achieve ignition and maybe blast-off into a penitentiary or sanatorium of our choice.