Capture evidence entangles ANC
Bank pressured to reopen accounts
The ANC’s wish to keep a safe distance from the state capture inquiry came to an abrupt end on Monday.
The party can no longer claim it is not on trial and that state capture was perpetrated by some members who went rogue on the organisation. It also cannot continue to quietly blame former president Jacob Zuma for collusion with the Gupta family.
Two of its current top officials as well as three serving members of the national executive committee (NEC) have been incriminated in trying to bully a major South African bank to reopen the Guptas’ bank accounts in 2016.
Led by Advocate Phillip Mokoena, Standard Bank’s former head of compliance Ian Sinton gave startling evidence at the state capture inquiry about how senior management of the bank were summoned to the ANC headquarters Luthuli House after the Guptas and Duduzane Zuma were given notice that their accounts were to be terminated.
Sinton told Judge Raymond Zondo that Standard Bank’s chief executive Sim Tshabalala received a request for a meeting from then ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe regarding the bank’s decision to close the accounts. He said Tshabalala led a delegation from the bank to the meeting at Luthuli House where they told the ANC that they could not discuss the affairs of their clients.
Despite the pressure that was put on the bank by Oakbay, the ANC and the cabinet committee, Standard Bank would not change its decision to terminate the accounts, said Sinton. He testified that the decision to close the accounts was taken because of negative media reports about the Guptas’ activities.
Zondo asked whether they had not considered it to be “strange” to be called to the headquarters of a political party for such a meeting.
“We thought it inappropriate
‘ ‘ ANC will not make running commentary on inquiry
but we nevertheless decided to attend,” Sinton said, adding that since the ANC was the governing party, it would have been disrespectful not to honour the invitation.
It is understood that the commission has been in communication with the ANC to invite it to [answer] the damning allegations against it.
Sinton said at the meeting with Mantashe, now the ANC’s national chairman, deputy secretary general Jessie Duarte and NEC member Enoch Godongwana the bank was asked whether it was part of “white monopoly capital oppressing black people”, and whether it was taking instructions from Stellenbosch.
He said they explained their policies and procedures lead- ing to the closure of the accounts, and informed the ANC that they were complying with the law by doing so.
Sinton also testified that at a meeting with Oakbay representatives about the closure of the bank accounts, the then CEO Nazeem Howa informed Standard Bank that he had asked the ANC to intervene.
This is the first evidence presented to the commission that the ANC as a political party interceded on behalf of the Guptas. It further compromises the ANC that their line of questioning regarding white monopoly capital is straight from the Bell Pottinger script to attack the Guptas’ opponents.
In an article in the Sunday Times last month, ANC head of the presidency Zizi Kodwa said the party has never condoned corruption and was not on trial at the commission.
Asked for comment on the revelations, Kodwa responded via text: “ANC supports the work of the commission and will not make running commentary about evidence and information of witnesses before the commission...”
Sinton also testified about the bank’s interactions with the inter-ministerial committee set up to investigate the closure of the accounts. Standard Bank met with former mineral resources minister Mosebenzi Zwane and labour minister Mildred Oliphant, both current members of the ANC NEC, as well as Gupta ally Mzwanele Manyi, who claimed to be a ministerial advisor.
Sinton said Zwane threatened that as a member of the governing party, he had the ability to get the law changed so that it would be illegal for banks to close people’s accounts. Banks operated under a licence from the government and that they should, therefore, be more “responsive” to government’s concerns.
Zwane was later caught out lying that cabinet had decided to appoint a commission of inquiry into the banks.
Whether the ANC made further attempts to intervene on behalf of the Guptas could be revealed when Absa, First Rand and Nedbank testify at the commission today and Wednesday.