THE DA is demanding that more heads must roll over the R118 million New York land deal, including Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Caiphus Ramashau, and other senior officials who were closely linked to the New York Pilot Project scandal.
This comes after the dismissal last week of the Director-General of DIRCO, Kgabo Mohoai over the land deal scandal in New York, United States.
In 2018, Dirco approached the court to overturn its own decision to award a tender to Simeka Group and Regiments Capital as development partners to design, construct, operate, maintain, and finance suitable office and accommodation for South Africa’s permanent mission to the United Nations and its Consulate General in New York.
The tender was awarded in 2016, but Regiments was dropped from the joint venture the next year after the Simeka group discovered that the company had links with the Gupta family.
This was also one of the reasons why National Treasury flagged the tender as irregular.
“We further demand the recall of the then minister of DIRCO, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, and Ambassador Jerry Matjila for their role in the scandal where a piece of land was bought for new offices that did not exist,” said DA’s shadow minister of international relations and cooperation, Mergan Chetty.
“During his investigation, Mohoai stated, that he was acting on instructions from the then Minister, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, that the original “deal” was approved by his predecessor, Jerry Matjila, prior to his appointment as ambassador to New York and that the then Minister, Nkoana-Mashabane, and CFO, Caiphus Ramashau, motivated for the deal to go ahead.”
Chetty said the DA consequently demands that President Cyril Ramaphosa suspends former international relations minister Nkoana-Mashabane, under whose watch ther New York Pilot Project and its shenanigans were initiated as she failed to exercise her executive oversight.
“We also demand that Ambassador Matjila, who was the Director-General during that period, should be recalled,” said Chetty.
“The outcome of the investigation reinforces the DA’s opinion that the intentions of the Minister suspending Director-General Mohoai was a mere smokescreen to protect other senior officials closely linked with senior politicians. And, in a twist of fate, the current Portfolio Committee chair, Thembi Mahambahahle, was removed and replaced by the ANC’s disgraced former North West Premier, Supra Mahumaphelo. Clearly, the pressure that the DA has been placing in exposing the corruption of the New York scandal, has resulted in high ranking politicians making drastic decisions to protect themselves.”
The DA said it will be writing to Ramaphosa demanding the recall and suspension of Nkoana-Mashabane and Ambassador Matjila.
“After the recent riots, South Africa cannot afford any further embarrassment due to this scandal. If the President is serious about rooting out corruption, then he must place the interest of South Africa ahead of his corrupt comrades,” said Chetty.
- Inside Politics
