The money trail can only be followed to determine how much the minister of mineral resources allowed his department to be taken over by state capture, said Adv. Anton Alberts, the FF Plus’s parliamentary spokesman on mineral resources.

Adv. Alberts told the department’s budget debate that nothing had improved at the department since minister, Mosebenzi Zwane, was appointed.

“We still hear about transformation, now called radical economic transformation, but it’s actually just a code for intensifying asset elimination for the benefit of a few selective individuals while most people in the country are still starving.”

“What we are aware of is the minister’s visit to Glencore’s main boss in Switzerland to persuade him to sell their Optimum mine to the Gupta-controlled Tegeta Exploration and Resources.”

“Then Mr. Brian Molefe made this transaction possible through a highly irregular advance payment to Tegeta for coal still to be delivered by Optimum.”

“The minister did not want to answer a parliamentary question from the FF Plus about what persons outside government circles were with him were Switzerland, although he admitted there was someone else and the identity of the individual can only be a guess. The FF Plus will continue to search for the truth.”

The false allegation of the minister that banks which closed accounts of the Gupta family will be investigated. This fits perfectly into the events surrounding its interference in the purchase of Optimum by Tegeta.

“The Gupta signals are becoming clearer, and one can begin to connect the dots of a worrying unfolding image: one of state capture in general and in particular captive ministers.”

“One can only wonder what’s next. Fortunately, we already know where to look: Follow the traces of nuclear power stations, coal supply to Eskom, mining licenses in protected areas, and where the money trail generally runs.”

“However, the wheel turns. In the short term, individuals will benefit from this corruption, but eventually, it will be unsustainable, and that selfishness will be part of the ash heaps of history as people will rise and place their cross elsewhere in 2019,” said Adv Alberts.

Read the original article in Afrikaans on Die Vryburger

South Africa Today – South Africa News