The Zumas really are a busy bunch aren’t they?

Once the news of the Panama Papers broke (a brief summary HERE for those playing catch up), you had a feeling a few people from this neck of the woods would be caught with their pants down.

It was inevitable that one member of the Zuma family would be embroiled in the saga, and this time it was JZ’s nephew Khulubuse. The Mail & Guardian with his involvement:

[The papers show] that Khulubuse Zuma stashed away money in the British Virgin Islands in 2010, after being allocated two DRC oil fields. The City Press in 2014 reported that this allocation followed a few months after a state visit by President Zuma to DRC president Joseph Kabila.

The oil deal was reported to be worth R100-billion.

Khulubuse Zuma is named in the Panama Papers as being authorised to represent Caprikat Limited, one of the two offshore companies involved in the oil deal…

In late summer 2010, as published reports raised questions about the acquisition, British Virgin Islands authorities ordered Mossack Fonseca to provide background information on Zuma, which the law firm had not previously obtained. That same year, Mossack Fonseca decided to end its relationship with the companies.

As is customary with the Zumas, scandal was followed by ‘explanation’, reported below by News24:

Khulubuse Zuma’s spokesperson, Vuyo Mkhize, said he had opted not to comment, other than to make his position clear.

“Firstly, I think we must clarify what the information that has been released is all about. The report does not say that Khulubuse holds an offshore bank account, it merely states that he was associated with a company registered offshore,” he said.

“Khulubuse does not, and has never held any offshore bank account,” Mkhize said.

“What the report seems to allege is that he has an association with a company, Caprikat, which is registered in the British Virgin Islands that he represented in concluding an oil deal which is a matter of record in this country. He does not have any additional comment beyond this.

“His simple position is that he signed the agreement on behalf of Caprikat, but the question of his status within that company is something that he is not at liberty to comment on,” Mkhize added.

Make of that what you will, but unsurprisingly many folks here at home aren’t buying it. A group called Solidarity are irate at the new information, calling for further investigations into the conduct of Khulubuse Zuma. The Mail & Guardian again:

“Khulubuse Zuma’s name was implicated with about 140 people who are under suspicion of having used banks, law firms and foreign front companies to conceal their assets,” said Gideon du Plessis, general secretary of Solidarity.

“We have approached the liquidators dealing with the Aurora case to investigate Khulubuse Zuma. We would like to know at what stage Zuma transferred money to Panama and whether it was during or shortly after his term as a director of Aurora,” said Du Plessis.

Solidarity said it had also asked the liquidators to bring a court application to freeze all Zuma’s offshore assets “since it appears that he is hiding money abroad in view of the pending appeal judgment”.

“Zuma and his fellow directors were found guilty, jointly and severally, of damage amounting to R1.7-billion because of their reckless and corrupt management of the Pamodzi mine assets,” said Du Plessis.

“If the appeal fails, Zuma and his fellow directors will have to comply with the order, or else they will be sequestrated should they fail to comply.”

I find with the Zumas it’s usually a case of where there’s smoke there’s fire – let’s hope we can determine the full extent of their dirty dealings and take appropriate action.

[sources:mg&mg&news24]

[imagesource:timeslive]