THE extent of corruption in Namibia under South Africa’s apartheid regime is detailed in an explosive new report released by South Africa’s Anti-Corruption Forum.
Corruption perpetuated by the former South African government and South African businesses range from the plundering of wildlife in the Caprivi and other northern regions to diamond-mining giant De Beers allegedly having evaded millions of dollars in taxes from their local mining activities. Released in South Africa on Monday, the report, ‘Apartheid Grand Corruption – assessing the scales of crime in South Africa from 1976-1994′, is a compilation of known and in many instances already investigated cases of corruption during that time.’BIG’ NAMESThe research focuses on large-scale corruption (grand corruption) or maladministration involving members of the private sector or functionaries of the apartheid state.The report names not only former South African government leaders but businessmen such as hotelier Sol Kerzner and Italian fugitive Vito Palazollo, who owned a farm in Namibia, as having been involved in corrupt activities during the apartheid era.Areas identified as having been prone to corruption were the activities of the South African Defence Force (SADF) during their occupation of Namibia and Angola.The report recognises the large-scale destruction of wildlife including elephant and rhinoceros in northern Namibia and Angola during 1975 and 1987.As was found by the Kumleben Commission of Inquiry in 1996, the SADF’s military intelligence division officially, though covertly, participated in the illicit possession and transportation of ivory and rhino horn from Angola and Namibia to South Africa.The SADF eventually collaborated with a “front company” to facilitate the illicit handling of ivory and rhino horn.BASSON LINKNamibia is also mentioned in the report as far as the activities of South African chemical and biological warfare expert Wouter Basson and his covertly funded Project Coast is concerned.The report recognises allegations that Swapo fighters were drugged and dumped from helicopters over the Skeleton Coast while Basson was in charge of the South African Defence Force’s chemical and biological warfare programme and manufactured poisons, drugs and other chemical agents for use in apartheid war.”They were to an extent a law unto themselves with little effective oversight over the way in which funds were spent,” says the report.The report also points to allegations that De Beers got away with evading tax on the export of diamonds worth US$171 million in the first six months of 1983 alone.De Beers is said to have exported diamonds through a host of its subsidiaries which each took a profit before the diamonds were channelled through the tax haven of Bermuda.This meant that the Namibian holding company would only have received 86 per cent of the selling price.These allegations against De Beers were investigated and proven in 1984 by Natal Supreme Court Judge Pieter Thirion when he investigated allegations or corruption and maladministration in Namibia when it was under South African control.The report was prepared by civil society in terms of a resolution of the Second National Anti-Corruption Summit in South Africa last year for presentation at the National Anti-Corruption Forum.In South Africa, the report is being hailed as debunking any perception that South Africa under white rule was corruption free.The report begs the question as to why those known to have committed crimes of corruption during this time have never been prosecuted.South African media reported this week that the South African government would set up a committee to probe corruption as detailed in the report.Released in South Africa on Monday, the report, ‘Apartheid Grand Corruption – assessing the scales of crime in South Africa from 1976-1994′, is a compilation of known and in many instances already investigated cases of corruption during that time.’BIG’ NAMES The research focuses on large-scale corruption (grand corruption) or maladministration involving members of the private sector or functionaries of the apartheid state.The report names not only former South African government leaders but businessmen such as hotelier Sol Kerzner and Italian fugitive Vito Palazollo, who owned a farm in Namibia, as having been involved in corrupt activities during the apartheid era.Areas identified as having been prone to corruption were the activities of the South African Defence Force (SADF) during their occupation of Namibia and Angola.The report recognises the large-scale destruction of wildlife including elephant and rhinoceros in northern Namibia and Angola during 1975 and 1987. As was found by the Kumleben Commission of Inquiry in 1996, the SADF’s military intelligence division officially, though covertly, participated in the illicit possession and transportation of ivory and rhino horn from Angola and Namibia to South Africa.The SADF eventually collaborated with a “front company” to facilitate the illicit handling of ivory and rhino horn.BASSON LINK Namibia is also mentioned in the report as far as the activities of South African chemical and biological warfare expert Wouter Basson and his covertly funded Project Coast is concerned.The report recognises allegations that Swapo fighters were drugged and dumped from helicopters over the Skeleton Coast while Basson was in charge of the South African Defence Force’s chemical and biological warfare programme and manufactured poisons, drugs and other chemical agents for use in apartheid war.”They were to an extent a law unto themselves with little effective oversight over the way in which funds were spent,” says the report.The report also points to allegations that De Beers got away with evading tax on the export of diamonds worth US$171 million in the first six months of 1983 alone.De Beers is said to have exported diamonds through a host of its subsidiaries which each took a profit before the diamonds were channelled through the tax haven of Bermuda.This meant that the Namibian holding company would only have received 86 per cent of the selling price.These allegations against De Beers were investigated and proven in 1984 by Natal Supreme Court Judge Pieter Thirion when he investigated allegations or corruption and maladministration in Namibia when it was under South African control.The report was prepared by civil society in terms of a resolution of the Second National Anti-Corruption Summit in South Africa last year for presentation at the National Anti-Corruption Forum.In South Africa, the report is being hailed as debunking any perception that South Africa under white rule was corruption free.The report begs the question as to why those known to have committed crimes of corruption during this time have never been prosecuted.South African media reported this week that the South African government would set up a committee to probe corruption as detailed in the report.
