Inside the murky relationship between Floyd Shivambu and Johann Rupert

A new book by News24 investigations editor Pieter Du Toit has painted a picture of a close relationship between one of the country’s wealthiest men Johann Rupert and the EFF’s deputy president Floyd Shivambu, but all may not be as it seems as a recent text exchange allegedly unearthed by the ‘Sunday Independent’ has hinted that the relationship that once may have appeared so close, is now on the rocks.

In the book titled “The Stellenbosch Mafia,” Du Toit claims Shivambu’s relationship with Rupert extended to Shivambu sharing information on the ANC Nasrec conference with Rupert according to News24.

“Believe it if you will,” Rupert is alleged to have told Du Toit, but Floyd Shivambu advised me to do the PowerFm interview. Once he got to know me, when he realised what I was actually doing, that I was opposed to apartheid and who I knew (during the struggle) he said, ‘But nobody knows this. You’ve got to go on Given Mkhari’s show and do the chairman’s conversation.'””

The book further claims that Shivambu and Rupert worked together on a personal project of Shivambu’s – a hospital in the Giyani area of Limpopo.

In the book, Rupert is quoted as saying, “We had lunch together at Tokara, Ferreira’s wine estate… Jannie then took them to Fleur de Cap, the farm my father bought that is now owned by Remgro. I was concerned that they might think that all white people live like that because they already believe we bathe in champagne.”

Shivambu has however denied ever having a relationship with Rupert saying “[I] never had any relationship with him” and asked City Press, “How can I feed information on the ANC conference when I am not a member of the ANC and was not attending their conference?”

If the Sunday Independent is correct then at the very least Shivambu appears to be misleading the City Press with regard his never having had a relationship with the billionaire businessman. Shivambu is quoted in the former paper through a series of texts from last February with Rupert where he accuses Rupert of looting the country and accumulating “ill-gotten wealth” owing to Apartheid and his whiteness.

According to the Sunday Independent Rupert responded saying “I have not looted anything and am very disappointed in you for this BS. Thought you were more honourable and intelligent than this. Goodbye and good luck.”

Shivambu is then alleged to have replied that Rupert needs to surround himself with people “who understand political dynamics and articulations”, something that appears to have incenced Rupert who replied saying, “because I gave Lewazi a break 10 years ago as head of the taxi association, you should watch it.”

Rupert, however, denies the text messages and has also claimed to not know Floyd Shivambu’s telephone number.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.