Daily news update: Bosasa corruption, SA’s UN vote and Mantashe challenges Zondo’s report

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Daily news update 03 March

Why South Africa abstained from Ukraine vote at UN General Assembly

South Africa has explained its decision to abstain from voting on the Russia-Ukraine conflict at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.

This after the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that demanded Russia to immediately withdraw from Ukraine.

The resolution was adopted after 141 out of 193 member states voted for the non-binding resolution, while five voted against the resolution.

South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mali, Namibia and Mozambique are among the 35 member states that abstained from the vote, while other African countries such as Botswana and Nigeria voted in favour of the resolution.

How Agrizzi’s ‘little black book’ helped trace Bosasa corruption

If it were not for former Bosasa boss Angelo Agrizzi’s “little black book”, far more people may have escaped the Zondo Commission’s reach.

According to Agrizzi, when he was tasked with managing and filing records of the cash which went in and out of safes for “bribes and gratitude”, he would provide a code for payments and kept a record of that in his book.

On the surface, it seems as if it was money laundering on a grand scale, with the cost of the bribes worked into the contracts – all paid for by taxpayers.

Mantashe to take Zondo’s report on judicial review

Mineral Resources and Energy minister Gwede Mantashe has announced that he will be taking the report from the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture on judicial review, after he was fingered as one of several ANC members who irregularly benefited from Bosasa largesse.

On Tuesday evening, part three of the report by Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, that was handed to President Cyril Ramaphosa, recommended that Mantashe be probed for corruption after receiving security installations for free from facilities management company Bosasa.

ANC dissolves Mpumalanga PEC

The African National Congress (ANC) provincial executive committee (PEC) in Mpumalanga has been dissolved. 

This just a week before the party was expected to hold its provincial elective conference between the 11th and 13th of March, where it was expected to pronounce its choice of leaders to be elected during the party’s 55th elective conference later this year.  

President Cyril Ramaphosa will reportedly go to the province in Ehlanzeni region on Monday.

Fury in Limpopo after R3 million paid for boreholes but no work done

A report by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has revealed that a service provider was paid R3.1 million for work not done after he was contracted by the Mopani district municipality in Limpopo for drilling and equipping boreholes. 

The boreholes were drilled and equipped in the Greater Tzaneen local municipality, but the SIU investigations revealed that they were illegally connected to the Eskom power line and not through transformers as per the municipality’s description.  

According to the municipality’ specification, the boreholes were supposed to have been drilled, equipped and electrified through a transformer so that it could be fully operational. 

Roman Abramovich confirms he will sell Chelsea

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich on Wednesday confirmed he will sell the Premier League club amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russian billionaire Abramovich has decided it is in the “best interest” of the Champions League holders if he parts ways with the club he has transformed since his purchase in 2003.

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