Former Police Minister Bheki Cele told MPs that MK Party leader Jacob Zuma has ties to Liebenberg and has financially benefited from him.
The MK party has rejected claims by former Police Minister Bheki Cele that it is funded by alleged diamond dealer Louis Liebenberg.
Cele made the allegation during his appearance before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee investigating police corruption on Thursday.
Zuma and Liebenberg
He told MPs that MK Party leader Jacob Zuma had ties to Liebenberg and had financially benefited from him
“There is a guy called LL – Louis Liebenberg. He’s a king of zama zamas. He cleans diamonds and everything. He has millions and millions. He funds the MK Party,” Cele said during the hearing
Liebenberg, his wife, Desiree Liebenberg, Magdelena Petronella Kleynhans, Johannes Petrus Badenhorst, Helena Dorothea Amy Schulenburg, Adriaan Dewald Strydom, Christelle Badenhorst, Nicolize van Heerden and Walter Niendinger are accused of more than R4 billion in fraud.
ALSO READ: Judge Aubrey Ledwaba denies receiving R2.5m to release ‘KT’ Molefe on bail
‘Malicious’
MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndlela has dismissed the claims, saying the party has no connection to the alleged diamond dealer.
“Cele’s allegations are entirely baseless and malicious. As a former Minister of Police, Mr. Cele had both the authority and the responsibility to act on any such information if it were true. His failure to do so exposes these claims as nothing more than reckless political posturing intended to mislead the public.
“The MK party views Mr. Cele’s conduct as a desperate attempt to score cheap political favour at the Ad-Hoc Committee and we strongly denounce his irresponsible and dishonest statements,” Ndlela said.
Cele and ‘Cat’ Matlala
During questioning on Thursday, Cele said that he knew Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala “very well”, but the former minister retracted that on Friday.
Cele explained that he had known Matlala only for three or four months, which was not sufficient to use that term.
“It could not qualify [it as] ‘very well’. Maybe in reflection, ‘very well’ would have been an overarching kind of a term.
“’Very well’ would not stay. If I need to withdraw ‘very well’, definitely I will take ‘very well’ out,” Cele told the committee.
ALSO READ: Madlanga commission told KT Molefe and ‘Cat’ Matlala allegedly part of ‘Big 5’ cartel
Relationship
However, he was pressed about his association with Matlala, this time elaborating that their relationship was not personal.
“[It would be like] my association with you. For instance, knowing your family, knowing where you live, knowing how you live. If it is only I have met you in the form of a semi-work, maybe a meeting, maybe in a hotel, then it cannot be very well.”
Charges
Matlala faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and money laundering after his former lover, Tebogo Thobejane’s vehicle was allegedly shot at in Sandton, Johannesburg, in October 2023.
He was arrested along with his wife, Tsakani, who was later released on R20 000 bail due to poor health and needing to provide for their young children.
Bail
Matlala’s bail bid was rejected by the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court last month, and has since escalated his bid to the High Court.
While he is alleged to be the mastermind behind the attack, he denied any involvement in the incident and said he intends to plead not guilty.
