No evidence of wrongdoing yet critics call Leon's ministerial lobbying unseemly for a party branding itself corruption free.
Tony Leon. Picture: Gallo Images
Former DA leader and SA ambassador Tony Leon is considering his legal options following revelations that he and his PR company tried to influence DA members of the government of national unity on behalf of the company’s clients.
He would also have to consider taking action against recently demoted agriculture minister John Steenhuisen, former deputy minister Dion George, possibly Mmusi Maimane, and the party’s former communications head and chief whip, Phumzile van Damme.
All of them have said similar things about Leon’s company, Resolve Communications… that Leon tried to pressure DA members in key positions on behalf of clients like Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Political lobbying is the world’s third-oldest profession, after prostitution and politics itself.
And influence peddling is the way of the world in the US, a country Leon admires.
Some of the world’s best lobbyists have been former politicians.
Look at Henry Kissinger…
There has been no evidence that Leon did anything wrong in lobbying for people like Musk – which he did with DA communications minister Solly Malatsi.
And it’s nothing like the hard state capture of the Jacob Zuma years.
But, it is unseemly all the same – especially from a stalwart of the party which bills itself as squeaky clean.
