Everything you need to know about SA’s alleged coup plotter

Here’s what we know about Elvis Ramosebudi, the man arrested on Wednesday for allegedly plotting a conspiracy to carry out a string of assassinations against South African government officials perceived as beneficiaries of state capture:

• Ramosebudi is reportedly single, 33-year-old, unemployed, and lives with his mother in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, The Times reported on Friday.
•  The alleged plot by the Anti-State Capture Death Squad Alliance and the Anti-White Monopoly Capitalists Regime, both organisations led by Ramosebudi, was exposed in October 2016.
• According to the Hawks, the Anti-State Capture Death Squad Alliance was apparently planning on killing 19 ministers and other high-profile officials, while the Anti-White Monopoly Capitalists Regime had allegedly targeted four.
• The 23 people that would have been targeted included President Jacob Zuma, Minister Des van Rooyen, Eskom board chairperson Ben Ngubane and Minister Mosebenzi Zwane and former public protector Thuli Madonsela, former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe and former deputy finance minister, Mcebisi Jonas.
• The Times also reported that the suspect allegedly sent a letter to the controversial Gupta family asking for R30 million to assassinate Madonsela, Jonas as well as ex-finance minister, Nhlanhla Nene, but the family reported the letter to the police.
• The Hawks learnt about the existence of the Regime through their investigation into the Alliance.
• The elite police crime-fighting unit said both organisations were in the process of sourcing funding from SA’s business giants that allegedly included multinational mining corporations.
• Ramosebudi was soliciting R140 million to carry out his plans and would have used snipers to kill his targets.

The 33-year-old appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court on Friday facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder and other charges related to plotting a coup.

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