#ICYMI: Mashaba not taking back a single word on corruption allegations against ANC regional chair
JOBURG – Failure to comply in 10 days would result in civil court action.
City of Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba has refused to publicly retract or apologise for his allegations of corruption involving Johannesburg ANC regional chairperson Geoff Makhubo and Regiments Fund Managers.
According to a statement from Mashaba’s office, the mayor had received a letter from Makhubo’s lawyers giving him 10 days to publicly retract and apologise for alleging that there was a corrupt relationship between Regiments, a company that was appointed to manage the City’s funds and Makhubo.
If Mashaba fails to comply with the demand, Makhubo apparently intends instituting civil proceedings to claim R5 million in damages from Mashaba.
“Makhubo will receive no such retraction or apology and I look forward to defending this matter in an open court of law in which all the evidence against Makhubo and Regiments will become public record,” said Mashaba.
This follows after amaBhungane, the centre for investigative journalism reported on 6 December 2018 that in 2006,
Regiments Fund Managers, a division of Regiments Capital, received a contract to manage the City’s ‘sinking fund’, a pool of several billion rand put aside to meet the City’s future debt repayments. The report further claimed that new evidence suggested that Makhubo received an estimated R30-million from the City by acting as an influence broker to the company that had taken an estimated R300 million in fees by 2015.
After the report, Mashaba opened a criminal case at the Johannesburg Central Police Station on 10 December last year laying charges of fraud, corruption, money laundering and racketeering against Makhubo and former City mayor, Parks Tau.
“In light of the overwhelming evidence provided in the amaBhungane’s report into alleged collusion between Regiments Fund Managers, Tau and Makhubo, I opened a criminal case,” said Mashaba.
Makhubo, a former MMC for Finance and prospective mayoral candidate has confirmed instructing his lawyers to write to Mashaba.
“We consulted with lawyers because he [Mashaba] said incorrect and defamatory things in his statement,” said Makhubo.
“He his playing politics and trying to paint everyone bad ahead of the elections. He must respond to the lawyer’s letter so we can take the matter forward.”
What are your views about the demands for mayor Herman Mashaba to apologise?
