KPMG S. Africa shakes out top management

johannesburg — Global auditor KPMG cleared out its South African leadership on Friday after damning findings from an internal investigation into work done for the Guptas, businessmen friends of President Jacob Zuma accused of improperly influencing government contracts.

KPMG’s investigation did not identify any evidence of illegal behaviour or corruption but it did find that work done for Gupta family firms “fell considerably short of KPMG’s standards”, the auditor said in a statement.

It became the third global firm to be damaged by work carried out for the Indian-born brothers after public relations agency Bell Pottinger - whose British business collapsed this week - and consultancy McKinsey.

Both Zuma and the Guptas deny wrongdoing and say they are victims of a politically motivated witch-hunt. The Guptas and their companies have not been charged with any crime.

“This has been a painful period and the firm has fallen short of the standards we set for ourselves, and that the public rightly expects from us,” new South African CEO Nhlamu Dlomu said.

“I want to apologise to the public, our people and clients for the failings that have been identified by the investigation.”

KPMG said it would donate the 40 million rand ($3 million) it earned in fees from Guptacontrolled firms to charity and refund 23 million rand it earned compiling a controversial report for the South African tax service.

South African chief executive Trevor Hoole, chairman Ahmed Jaffer, chief operating officer Steven Louw and five senior partners all resigned.

“I absolutely understand that ultimate responsibility lies with me,” Hoole said in a statement.

KPMG is also seeking to take disciplinary action to dismiss Jacques Wessels, the lead partner on audits of Gupta-linked firms, it said. Wessels did not answer a call to his mobile phone seeking comment.