Over R4m in ‘concerning’ payments made into Malema slush fund – report

Just over R4 million in payments made into the account of a company called Santaclara Trading have been flagged as “concerning” in an accompanying analysis of the statements.

This is according to a recent Sunday Times article in which records obtained during an investigation into the looting of VBS bank were analysed. Further analysis of Santaclara’s bank statements for March to September 2017, detail what the publication has labelled “concerning” payments made mostly in multiples of R100,000.

Some of the millions of rands deposited into the account come from people such as EFF leader Julius Malema’s lawyer, other companies doing work for the government in Limpopo, and the EFF itself.

Among the deposits into Santaclara Trading’s bank account include a total of R300,000 deposit by Malema’s attorney Ian Levitt in March 2017 as well as a R200,000 deposit into the account by LTE Consulting – the company behind the controversial R2.2bn project to supply water to Limpopo.

The day Levitt’s first payment was made, an amount of R150,000 was paid to the South African Revenue Service. Six days later, a further R50,000 was paid to Sars.

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The publication further deduced that money from VBS could have possibly “found its way into Malema’s or the EFF’s hands through Santaclara” after it was found that Grand Azania paid R500,000 to Santaclara.

Grand Azania is a company that belongs to Malema’s deputy, Floyd Shivambu and it made headlines for allegedly receiving R1.1m from VBS and a further R3.3m from a company belonging to his brother in the VBS looting scandal.

While his lawyer refused to comment on his involvement with Santaclara and the deposits he made, Malema told the Sunday Times that he has “no relationship with” Santaclara, which is “involved in all types of businesses”.

“They are young boys who are trying to find their feet and there is no VBS for Santaclara, there is no such a thing,” he said.

“They have never received money of VBS. Those boys work hard, they hire out sound systems, hire out tents and they hire out furniture and they are legitimate traders, but because of their association with me, you guys want to destroy them. Go on.”

(Compiled by Kaunda Selisho)

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