Cape Town – Trade union federation Cosatu has said it hopes the seizure of assets by the South African Reserve Bank will be extended to all properties owned by Markus Jooste and his associates, while calling on the Hawks to criminally charge the former Steinhoff CEO.
This week, the SARB attached billions of rand of assets including those of the Silver Oak Trust, art worth about R98.78 million, financial assets worth R1.21 billion, loans receivable of R131.12m, Jooste’s house in Voelklip, Hermanus, six luxury vehicles, jewellery and other art worth about R795 400, books, documents, electronic devices and passwords, and the Lanzerac Wine Estate in Stellenbosch.
Jooste was the alleged ringleader in financial fraud that saw investors lose more than R200 billion and resulted in the 95% collapse in the Steinhoff share price in 2017.
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika on Thursday, Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said they were thrilled by the action that has been taken against Jooste and his associates.
“We hope that also those who worked with him in defrauding Steinhoff, the Reserve Bank will seize their properties and belongings.
“Having said that, we also appreciate this comes from the Reserve Bank and meaning he is being dealt with for the crime he has committed when it comes to foreign exchange regulations and he is yet to be held accountable for the crime of looting taxpayers’ money,” Pamla said.
Pamla called on the National Prosecuting Authority and the Hawks to act, accusing them of sleeping on the case.
“When this happened in 2017 and years later we haven’t heard anything from the Hawks, NPA, including South African Police Service in general.
“This is worrying because this is one of the biggest corruption scandals that this country has ever faced and billions of investors’ money was looted by Jooste and his colleagues.
“The fact that our law enforcement institutions have not lifted a finger to hold him accountable in all of these years, allowing him to keep his assets, and there is the possibility that he has disposed (of) or hidden some of his assets he has around the world,” he said.
Meanwhile, IOL reported this week that billionaire businessman Christo Wiese, who sold his farm to Jooste, who offered him Steinhoff shares in exchange for the Lanzerac Wine Estate, said he was willing to “give him back his worthless shares”, in exchange for his Lanzerac wine farm.
Wiese said though he did get some of his money back through a settlement paid by Steinhoff, he still wanted justice.
“I got some of my money back in the settlement done by the company Steinhoff and I am pretty confident in the end the outcome will be the right outcome, because Jooste defrauded me of the Lanzerac property and paid with shares he knew to be worthless, so we have sued him to cancel the deal and claim back Lanzerac and give him back his worthless shares,” he said.
The Black Business Chamber also said it welcomed the actions by the SARB in an effort to bring some accountability to the Steinhoff scandal that rocked the corporate world a few years ago.
“Those other law enforcement agencies who might have been cowering to do the right thing should at least feel motivated that SARB has made the move towards making sure that Jooste is held to account. The only disappointment is on the side of the banks, though.
“The banks have always been the ones that have been quick to act whenever allegations of corruption have been levelled against black businesses and individuals,” the BBC said in a statement.
IOL