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The Palm Hotel in Dubai. Source: Pixabay

Home » Former SA Minister Mbalula’s Family Trip to Dubai was Conflict of Interest, Says Public Protector

Former SA Minister Mbalula’s Family Trip to Dubai was Conflict of Interest, Says Public Protector

South Africa’s Public Protector (PP), Busisiwe Mkhwebane, has found that the 2016 family holiday trip to Dubai by former Minister of Sport, Fikile Mbalula, was paid for by Sedgars Sports, a sporting goods supplier, and that this constitutes a conflict of interest. The PP has also found that Mbalula acted in violation of the Constitution […]

By SAPeople
19-12-18 15:24
in Eish!
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The Palm Hotel in Dubai. Source: Pixabay

South Africa’s Public Protector (PP), Busisiwe Mkhwebane, has found that the 2016 family holiday trip to Dubai by former Minister of Sport, Fikile Mbalula, was paid for by Sedgars Sports, a sporting goods supplier, and that this constitutes a conflict of interest.

The Palm Hotel in Dubai where Fikile Mbablula and his family holidayed. Source: Pixabay

The PP has also found that Mbalula acted in violation of the Constitution and the Executive Ethics Code, according to advocacy group AfriForum which requested the investigation following allegations in an EWN investigation that Sedgars Sport paid between R300 000 and R680 000 for the Mbalula family’s trip to the Atlantis, The Palm Hotel in Dubai.

The world famous hotel was developed by Sol Kerzner’s Kerzner International Holdings and is internationally acclaimed for its Atlantis-themed waterpark.

Mbalula’s case has now be referred to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to further investigate whether the funds used to pay for Mbalula’s trip were not proceeds of money laundering.

Former Sports Minister Mbalula. Source: GCIS

Monique Taute from the anticorruption unit of AfriForum says: “We urge the NPA to consider whether this conduct does not constitute corruption as defined in the recent judgement of the Supreme Court of Appeal, S versus Scholtz and Others.

“AfriForum will monitor the process and should the NPA fail to do their job and not prosecute of their own accord, Adv. Gerrie Nel and our Private Prosecution Unit will privately prosecute Mbalula to ensure that justice prevails.”

The normal chirpy Mbalula hasn’t yet posted any comment on Twitter.

Meanwhile new tweeter, former president Jacob Zuma has confirmed that he has sold a property “seeing as I have a lot of legal fees to pay”… but denies he owns anything in Duba. “I would appreciate if [the Sunday Times] could provide me with the title deed & address of the house I own in Dubai so that I can sell it because I don’t know anything about it,” he tweeted yesterday.