Johannesburg — It has been a busy few days for Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, as he now faces allegations of covering up corruption, money laundering and fraud scandal.
Lesufi has been at the centre of an internal tussle with the African National Congress (ANC) and was placed before an ANC committee to clarify his comments made over the Government of National Unity (GNU). Now he has become the target of the Afrikaans civic rights organisation, AfriForum.
In a statement, AfriForum accused Lesufi of being behind the provincial government losing hundreds of millions of rands that were intended to support Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) through the Department of Social Development (DSD).
“AfriForum’s private prosecution unit is now representing a whistleblower in this case and has been tasked with holding the implicated officials and their enablers, including politicians, criminally accountable for this theft, which has been ongoing for nearly a decade,” it said.
The prosecution unit reviewed forensic reports of funds that were meant to be allocated to NPOs for food banks, school uniforms and dignity pack programmes. The report found officials were allegedly involved in crimes such as fraud, corruption and money laundering and AfriForum recommended that they face disciplinary and criminal action.
Panyaza Lesufi geïmpliseer in beweerde toesmeer van korrupsie en dwarsboming van strafregtelike ondersoek.
Dis duidelik dat hy onbevoeg is en nie sy pos as premier van Gauteng waardig is nie. Lesufi moet waai. Eis sy afdanking hier: https://t.co/zbqcj8bT3i. pic.twitter.com/RclVCmuuK9
— AfriForum (@afriforum) October 8, 2024
The whistleblower said the reports were presented to Lesufi but instead of taking action, he hired a law firm to review the reports and clear the officials and subsequently terminated the law firm’s mandate.
Gerrie Nel. AfriForum’s Head of the Private Prosecution Unit said the actions of Lesufi’s office and the MEC for Social Development were an obstruction of justice, and he said it would be unthinkable for a department to review its own compiled report.
Barry Bateman, Private Prosecution Unit spokesperson, said it was unacceptable for Lesufi to hinder efforts to rid his government of corruption.
“The whistleblower claims that Lesufi’s failure to extend the investigation is the roadblock preventing an internal disciplinary and criminal process against the implicated officials. It is feared that a full investigation into the allegations will eventually lead to the final beneficiaries of these illegal funds. There is always concern that when pawns in criminal activities are caught, they will ultimately turn against the enablers. The best way for them to protect themselves is to shield their foot soldiers,” said Bateman.
In response to AfriForum’s allegations, Lesufi took to his alleged reactivated X account and taunted AfriForum to “try harder” in their efforts to prove their allegations correct.
“Try harder. Your @afriforum letter to me is the opposite of the media release you sent to your media friends. Try harder,” the Premier said.
Try harder. Your @afriforum letter to me is the opposite of the media release you sent to your media friends. Try harder pic.twitter.com/xidexEMH3L
— Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi) October 8, 2024
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Picture: X/@LillyNTaylor
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
