8th June, 2017
South African cabinet ministers are seriously concerned about leaked emails purported to show government officials were unduly influenced by business interests, Communications Minister Ayanda Dloldo said on Thursday.
On June 1, South African media began reporting on more than 100,000 leaked documents and emails that they say show improper dealings in lucrative government contracts by business friends of President Jacob Zuma.
“All who are affected by the emails are urged to cooperate with the law-enforcement agencies,” Dloldo said.
NAN reports that South Africa’s elite police unit, the Hawks, has opened an inquiry into the leaked emails involving alleged improper dealings in awarding government contracts.
“An inquiry has been opened … obviously, we will look at the authenticity of these emails, how were they leaked, but this is something that we’ve just started,” the spokesman said.
Some South African media reported on June 1 that they had access to more than 100,000 leaked documents and emails that showed improper dealings in government contracts by business friends of President Jacob Zuma.
Zuma has denied wrongdoing.
Zuma has survived calls to resign from within the usually united ANC in recent weeks due to disputes over political appointments and his friendship with the Indian-born Gupta family, wealthy businessmen whose companies have contracts with state-owned firms.
Investigative journalists at AmaBhungane, a non-profit group that has a strong track record of exposing what it says are government corruption scandals, released some of more than 100,000 leaked emails and documents.
It says they prove Gupta-owned companies unduly influence the award of government contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars, including the building of locomotives and pre-payments for coal deliveries before a deal was signed.
A Gupta family spokesman did not respond to questions by phone and said he may reply to emailed inquiries from Reuters later.
The Gupta family and Zuma have denied wrongdoing when similar allegations have been made in the past.
The Secretary-General of the African National Congress, Mr Gwede Mantashe said on Wednesday that Zuma may be removed as head of state after a December conference when a new leader of the ruling party will be chosen.
Though Zuma can remain South African president until an election in 2019, senior ANC sources opposed to him have told Reuters they will push for his removal as head of state shortly after he steps down as party leader in December.
ANC’s top leadership, including Mantashe, have been critical of some of Zuma’s decisions but have not publicly said they back proposals to remove him.
Asked if it would be easier for Zuma’s ANC opponents to remove him after the party conference, Mantashe told Reuters: “Yes, that’s exactly the point I’m making.
After December … he will not be the president of the ANC, who by resolution should be president of the republic. It’s less complex.”