Franciscus was in fear of his life – Plato dossier
A LETTER has emerged detailing claims that a former supposed wheeler and dealer in ANC circles, who died in a car accident last year, had been warned weeks before his death he would be killed because of dealings with top politicians.
Businessman Jeffrey Franciscus, who at the time of the crash faced numerous fraud charges, died in the accident on November 13 when he lost control of the black Mercedes he was driving along the N1 near Kuils River.
Police spokesman André Traut told the Cape Times that a case of culpable homicide was being investigated.
However, no foul play was suspected.
In the wake of Franciscus’s death, Community Safety MEC Dan Plato put together a dossier on conversations he said he had with Franciscus and communications he said he received from Franciscus.
The dossier, of which the Cape Times has a copy, contains explosive, unsubstantiated claims made apparently by Franciscus, including the letter which claims he would be killed if he spoke out about the politicians.
It said Franciscus donated at least R2.4m, mostly in cash, to the Western Cape ANC.
The letter names the people who allegedly received the cash.
Names of police officers and gang bosses are included in Plato’s document and alleged political plots are outlined.
Franciscus was a controversial character who has been dismissed as a compulsive liar and fraudster by some who knew him.
Friends say he was originally from Athlone, but had business dealings and family ties in Namibia.
Franciscus made headlines about two years ago when he intervened to offer a solution in the saga around the Da-led administration’s failure to enclose toilets serving about 55 families in Makhaza, Khayelitsha.
Franciscus’s proposal to the SA National Civics Organisation was that his company, Darrow Pre-cast, would be used to train unemployed people to build concrete toilets.
Additionally, Franciscus offered to donate the first 100 completed concrete-clad toilets manufactured in the training process.
However, weeks later his good Samaritan image took a knock when it emerged he faced fraud complaints and numerous business people had come forward saying he owed them money.
Last year Franciscus spent about nine months in Pollsmoor Prison, apparently convicted of violating bail conditions relating to a fraud case.
But in the dossier compiled by Plato, Franciscus comes across as someone who was owed money, but sidelined when he demanded it.
The letter, dated October 26, 2011, which Plato said he received from Franciscus, had the letterhead “JG Franciscus” and was signed apparently by Franciscus.
It said Franciscus was compiling a report about the R2.4 million donation, as nearly 90 percent had not been used as intended.
The letter said Franciscus had a set of recorded conversations between ANC politicians, political figures and business people “which in my opinion serves to prove fraudulent intent”.
It said Franciscus planned to institute criminal proceed- ings against the people who received the money from him.
“The above is deemed necessary, in view of the fact that I am now being threatened,” it said.
The letter also said Franciscus had received threats from members of the 28s prison gang who warned him he would be killed if he disclosed, to the police or “the opposition”, information of his dealings with the people who had received the cash.
Eighteen days after the date on the letter, Franciscus died.
Premier Helen Zille said this week that she was aware of the Franciscus matter and the letter.
While it could not be confirmed whether Franciscus in fact wrote it, Zille said: “The truth will out.”
Approached for comment, Marius Fransman, the Deputy Minister of International Relations and Co-operation and head of the ANC Western Cape, denied that the ANC received money from Franciscus.
“Mr Franciscus was a sad story of someone who was mentally sick. He concocted this story,” Fransman said.
Fransman also referred to media reports in 2010 in which sources said Franciscus claimed to be friends with President Jacob Zuma.
Fransman said Franciscus had initially represented himself as an ANC supporter and had “name-dropped” – used the names of influential people to appear more powerful.
“He went around saying he gave people money. It’s a lie,” Fransman said.
He said Franciscus had lied about other things and up to now his claims had amounted to nothing.
Fransman was aware of a dossier doing the rounds detailing Franciscus’s claims.
ANC treasurer-general Mathews Phosa told the Cape Times it was up to a donor to decide whether or not he or she wanted to keep the fact of money given to the ANC confidential.
He said the name Jeff Franciscus did not ring a bell.