Arms probe puts Zuma’s Presidency on the line

The Seriti commission of inquiry into the arms deal began its hearings on 20 August.

A day earlier, e-toll contract documents were in the hands of the Democratic Alliance. The opposition party was also awaiting delivery of the Jacob Zuma spy tapes.

What was the arms deal?
A military procurement package which involved a R30 billion purchase of weaponry in 1999. It has been subject to repeated, seemingly substantive, allegations of corruption.

The Department of Defence had aimed to modernise its defence equipment, which included the purchase of corvettes, submarines, light utility helicopters, lead-in fighter trainers and advanced light fighter aircraft.

Government announced in November 1998 that it intended to purchase Gripen fighter aircraft from Sweden at a cost of R10.875 billion; R388 million per plane.

Corruption allegations
In a January 2001 report, the Attorney-General of the Western Cape and the Special Investigations Unit senior legal advisor recommended further investigation.

The report said, “There are sufficient grounds in terms of the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act for a special investigating unit to conduct an investigation, and in our opinion, such an investigation is warranted.”

A joint investigative team looked at the arms deal in 2000 and found in a November 2001 report there were no grounds to believe that government had acted illegally or improperly.

Big names on the hit list
But in October 2009 documents provided by Cape Town businessman Richard Young, whose company lost the tender for the navy’s new corvettes, showed the initial report had been doctored, stating that there was no proof of government irregularities, fraud or corruption.

British and German investigators suspected that bribes of billions of rand were paid to facilitate the deal. Jacob Zuma, Thabo Mbeki, Schabir Shaik and his brother Chippy Shaik, Fana Hlongwane and the late Joe Modise have all been mentioned.

Whistle-blower Patricia de Lille alleged in Parliament that she had evidence of three R500 000 payments by a warship supplier to various influential people in South Africa.

Further allegations came from Sweden, where it was claimed that R30 million that was to finance an industrial school was in reality a bribe for South African politicians.

Yengeni fell
In 2004, Tony Yengeni was convicted of defrauding parliament by accepting a discount on a luxury car during the tendering process for a controversial arms deal while he was the member of a parliamentary committee reporting on the same deal. He served four months of his four-year sentence before being paroled.

Shaik next
Shaik, who rose to prominence due to his close association with Zuma during his time as Deputy President, has also done time in jail after he was found guilty of corruption and fraud.

Zuma walked 
This led to the dismissal of Zuma two weeks later from his position as Deputy President. Shaik was released on medical parole after serving two years and four months of his 15-year prison term.

Zuma has fought a long legal battle over allegations of racketeering and corruption, resulting from his financial advisor Shaik’s conviction for corruption and fraud.

On 6 April 2009, the National Prosecuting Authority dropped the charges, citing political interference.

Colossal task for commission 
Most interesting will be early next year, possibly February, when the commission will deal with matters surrounding the alleged corruption.

The commission will also probe why the arms deal was signed, who benefited and what favours were done and returned. It’s a mammoth task, but probably the most defining.

Will Zuma still be worthy of the Presidency when the commission has fulfilled its mandate? South Africa and the world await.