MBABANE: Themba Masuku,the former Deputy Prime Minister(DPM) allegedly received over R2million alleged African National Congress(ANC) laundered corrupt monies from controversial Bishop Bheki Lukhele of the All Nations Church in Zion,an investigation by AmaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism in collaboration with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists(ICIJ) has found.
In a report published this week and quoting a bundle of documents sourced from the Eswatini Financial Intelligence Unit(EFIU),the team of international investigative journalists found that,through his company-Lawuba Investments(Pty) Ltd, former DPM Themba Masuku, the then Shiselweni Regional Administrator(RA),sold a Farm to Bishop Lukhele at a suspicious inflated price amounting to over R2million in what was suspected to be an act of money laundering.
Referring to an article previously published by this Swaziland News, AmaBhungane quoted Bishop Lukhele having claimed that,his money was legitimate.
This publication questioned the Bishop in 2019 after he was seen questionably accumulating wealth with no clear source of income.
“I can confidently confirm that my money is clean because it is received through the banks, it is traceable with all the proof. I don’t deposit money to the bank in cash except for the church offerings,”said Lukhele.
The investigative report produced under the ongoing highly effective investigative journalism project by Swazi Secrets, AmaBhungane and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists(ICIJ)further reveals that, Judge Andreas Lukhele while practicing as a lawyer at Peter Dunseth Attorneys, was an alleged transferring attorney and a money-laundering conduit for Bishop Lukhele and former DPM Themba Masuku.
A questionnaire was sent to the former DPM, however, he had not responded at the time of compiling this report.
On another note, as previously reported by AmaBhungane, the millions that were allegedly laundered by the controversial Bishop and Themba Masuku, forms part of the over R200million allegedly looted from bank accounts of the African National Congress(ANC) by Lukhele, King Mswati’s brother-in-law Sibusisiwe Mngomezulu and one Bongani “Bongo” Mahlalela who were allegedly linked to the ANC’s investment entity-Chancellor House.
Sibusisiwe Mngomezulu, a brother to King Mswati’s wife Sibonelo Mngomezulu known as Inkhosikati LaMbikiza, is eSwatini’s Ambassador to Belgium.
“The farm was bought at a seemingly grossly inflated price, possibly to partially disguise payments transferred to Masuku two years earlier.It worked like this:Deeds documents show that Lukhele’s company was the buyer of a farm in the Shiselweni region, where the DPM used to be an administrator.The company paid R1.35-million for the property, which was owned by Masuku’s Lawuba Investments (proprietary) Limited.No money left Lukhele’s account in June 2020 or around that period to pay for this transaction.Instead, in June 2018, Lukhele, through two payments in that month, transferred R2.7 million to Howe, Masuku, Nsibandze attorneys, where the DPM’s son was a partner. These deposits were labeled “Ra Masuku”, short for Regional Administrator Masuku.Shortly after those payments were made, Masuku’s bank statements show that he received payments of R1.31-million and R1.44-million from his son’s law firm.In addition, Masuku’s statements reveal that he received R55 000 directly from Lukhele in July, August and November 2018.
Masuku received another R30 000 in June 2020 and R15 000 in December. These payments were referenced “Dpm”, short for Deputy Prime Minister.Deeds records show that Masuku’s company bought the farm in June 2019 for just under R100 000. A year later he sold it to Lukhele’s Mbhiji Investments for the aforementioned R1.35-million”, reads the investigative report in part.
Reached for comments on Wednesday evening, Mlungisi Makhanya, the President of the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) described former Deputy Prime Minister Themba Masuku as a corrupt criminal who has been stealing for the longest time.
“Themba is a corrupt criminal who has been stealing for the longest time and we are not surprised because he is one of the most corrupt and unethical individuals to have occupied public power in Swaziland.He clearly used the position of being a Regional Administrator of Shiselweni to continue with his corruption crusade, something that he was doing even as a Deputy Prime Minister. We demand a full scale investigation on this thing and that’s why as an organization, we will continue to engage the African National Congress as a sister party and urge it to get to the bottom of this corruption that was done using among other entities, the African National Congress. But we know that the African National Congress name was used by rouge elements who are close to the Swazi King to loot money from the ANC and its associated business organization such as the Chancellor House.But in the final analysis, we want to Swazis to understand that,this corruption that we are talking about,is not necessarily ANC money but it’s Swazi people’s money because these monies were stolen at the time when Chancellor House was running Maloma Coal Mine and Maloma Coal Mine and the coal that is there, is the collective heritage of emaSwati”, said the PUDEMO President.
Former DPM Themba Masuku.