Mantashe says will not step aside until a prima facie case proved beyond reasonable doubt

African National Congress (ANC) Chairperson and Mineral Resource and Energy Minister, Gwede Mantashe says he will not step aside until a prima facie case against him has been proved beyond a reasonable doubt.

He was addressing the media on Wednesday, following the release of Part Three of the State Capture Commission report.

The third part of the State Capture report focused on Bosasa and its dealings with the ANC and some senior government officials.

Mantashe received free security installations at his properties, knowing that Bosasa director Papa Leshabane sought through him to influence unspecified or unnamed office bearers. But he said there is no prima facie case of wrongdoing against him.

Mantashe has vowed to take the report on judicial review. His lawyers are analysing the State Capture report.

The report found overwhelming evidence that attempts were made through various forms of inducement to influence members of the National Executive, and office bearers, functionaries, officials, and employees in state institutions and organs of state.

Minister Gwede Mantashe briefs media on State Capture report:

The report is damning on several ANC and government leaders including Gwede Mantashe, Nomvula Mokonyane, and Thabang Makwetla among others.

The Commission heard evidence that security upgrades were installed by Bosasa at three of Mantashe’s properties. It then concluded that there is a reasonable suspicion that he received the free installations, knowing that Bosasa Director Papa Leshabane sought through him to influence unspecified or unnamed office bearers.

However, there is no evidence that Mantashe acted upon this. Earlier Mantashe said he was not on the Bosasa payroll, and refuted the claims that the company paid R300 000 for security upgrades at his house.

“One of the things I wanted to demystify is that there must be no attempt to talk about the electrical fence, so there is no electrical fence, it has never been there. Two, there has never been an alarm system, it is not here and there has never been an intercom. If you come here, go through the small gate, if we are sleeping you throw a stone on the roof or shout and when you have a car you hoot and we will open for you. The reason that Agrizzi testified for nine days without mentioning my name, the reality is that I have never interacted with them and I am not on the payroll of Bosasa.”

Video: Mantashe rejects findings of State Capture Commission Report: Dr Curlewis and Prof Seepe

Pressure for the National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigating Directorate

Political Analyst, Ralph Mathekga says the release of the report will put more pressure on the National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigating Directorate as more recommendations of investigations and prosecution emerge.
On Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Advocate Andrea Johnson the unit’s new Head. This is after the outgoing head, Hermione Cronje announced her resignation from the important post in December last year.

Johnson, who is currently serving on the NPA task force overseeing the implementation of the State Capture Report recommendations, is expected to lead the Investigation Directorate in bringing those responsible for state capture to book.
Mathekga says this will had more pressure to the unit.

“They have now a new head of the unit that will is going to focus on some of these prosecutions that will need to flow from the Zondo Commission and I think that it is going to be so much pressure. The NPA is already under pressure, they have a backlog of cases. They’re already struggling. They’re already not coming out so well. So it’s going to be a huge challenge.”