[imagesource: Facebook / Forever Diamonds and Gold]

Louis Liebenberg has made a sizeable fortune from dealing diamonds.

Like many others with money burning a hole in their pockets, he’s not afraid to use that fortune to buy a little political capital here and there.

Earlier this year, in the image you see above, Liebenberg headed to Nkandla and gifted former president and current medical parolee Jacob Zuma with two Nguni cattle.

That seemingly wasn’t enough of an offering and Liebenberg has now pledged R500 000 towards helping Zuma fund his private prosecution of State advocate Billy Downer and News24 journalist Karyn Maughan.

Zuma alleges, in yet another desperate attempt to intimidate those who hold him to account, that Downer leaked his confidential medical records to Maughan, which both parties deny.

Here’s News24:

 Liebenberg refused to directly comment.

“Is there nothing else you are interested in … what I think about Mr Zuma, the country’s future or politics? I never talk about money because it is just a digit in your bank account… I think my thoughts are what most of the population who live without fear are: Mr Zuma was the best president we’ve had,” said Liebenberg.

I’ll have what he’s smoking. Must be nice to totally zone out from reality from time to time.

So what’s the play here? Why would you need to curry favour with a former president who’s recently suffered a reality check on how much sway he still holds in the ANC?

Well, it never hurts to have friends with connections in high places:

Liebenberg has a controversial past, with the state provisionally freezing bank accounts in the name of Liebenberg, his colleague Ronelle Kleynhans and his company Tariomix in March.

The accounts containing about R100 million were frozen following an order of the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria after allegations of money laundering and of running a Ponzi scheme.

Carte Blanche ran an exposé on Liebenberg in 2020, alleging he had ties to various nefarious organisations.

He also landed himself in hot water that same year for his impression of Cyril Ramaphosa:

He was reported to the South African Human Rights Commission and was also linked with funding Eureka, a whites-only town in the Northern Cape.

So, Liebenberg had R100 million in assets frozen by the state (IOL reports that the NPA’s preservation order was overturned in August) and he finds R500 000 down the back of the couch to fund Zuma’s legal battles?

He also appeared outside the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein in August while Zuma was battling to remain out of jail on medical parole:

Lious Litchenburg says he is here to support former President #JacobZuma and his group also says President Ramaphosa must go. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/HMoqgzz7sS

— #LordOfTheMedia (@samkelemaseko) August 15, 2022

Nothing comes for free in this world.

It’s probably safe to assume that Liebenberg is going to expect something in return somewhere down the line.

[sources:news24&iol]