POLITICS

Godongwana's Canyon Springs lies adding up - DA

Haniff Hoosen says former deputy minister did receive money from Richard Kawie

The Democratic Alliance (DA) will contact the SAPS Commercial Branch to ask that new evidence of dishonesty by Former Economic Development Minister, Enoch Godongwana, be added to the investigation into charges we laid regarding the extent of his involvement in the stealing of workers' pension funds (see M&G report).

Mr Godongwana has reportedly lied to the liquidation inquiry by failing to disclose that he had received money from Richard Kawie, who is suspected to have masterminded the fraudulent actions that led to the R100 million in workers' pension funds going missing.

It has surfaced that, even though Mr Godongwana testified he did not receive money from other sources related to Canyon Springs, he did indeed receive large payments on several occasions from Eclipse Capital, a company wholly owned by Mr Kawie.

Mr Godongwana appears to have preferred the income from Canyon Springs to be funnelled through Mr Kawie's companies in order to conceal any direct relations between Mr Godongwana and Canyon Springs. The list of questionable actions by Mr Godongwana is growing rapidly:

  • He failed to properly disclose his interests in Canyon Springs Investments.
  • He lied to the liquidation inquiry.
  • He resigned from his post at the Economic Development Department without offering a proper explanation.
  • He has attempted to conceal the true source of his income.
  • He has refused to come to Parliament to explain himself.

These examples show that, while Godongwana has claimed that he was an innocent bystander in the stealing of workers' pension funds, his actions suggest the opposite.

The more information is revealed, the more questionable Mr Godongwana's role becomes. 

I will also be following through on steps taken to ensure that Godongwana and the Economic Development Minister, Ebrahim Patel, account to Parliament's Economic Development portfolio committee. 

Statement issued by Haniff Hoosen ID MP and DA Shadow Minister of Economic Development, February 3 2012

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