The book behind this extract

Having stolen the aspirations of millions of people, Jacob Zuma enabled state pillage estimated to be in the region of R1.5-trillion. Pliant politicians, hangers-on, connected families and assorted others were rewarded with high office, tenders and parastatals.

Fred Daniel stood up against this plague of corruption. The retaliation he faced after attempts by allegedly corrupt politicians to grab his nature reserve in Mpumalanga included vandalism, arson, smears and death threats. His nemesis is Deputy President David Dadebe Mabuza, who presided over several departments in the province before he ascended to the position of second-most powerful politician in the country.

Fred bought 89 farms, degraded by decades of asbestos mining and poor agricultural practices, and built his dream, the Nkomazi Wilderness Reserve. He healed the land by clearing it and rehabilitating its ecosystems and habitats. Wild animals returned. Kerzner International planned to build a seven-star safari lodge on the reserve, rating it as a unique location of outstanding natural beauty. All of these plans came to naught when politicians saw an opportunity to seek rent.

Fred has won more than 20 cases over the past 15 years in magistrate’s and high courts, where his claims of corruptionrelated harassment were found credible. The North Gauteng High Court is hearing his damages claim against Mabuza, government departments and officials amounting to more than R1bn. It stems from Fred’s exposure of fraudulent land scams allegedly orchestrated by Mabuza, where the poor were cheated out of a future.

In her book, “Predator Politics: Mabuza, Fred Daniel and the Great Land Scam”, REHANA ROSSOUW asks: Do we want him as our next president? This is an edited extract …