South Africa News

Former ANC employee linked to cash heists to appear in court

Former ANC employee Errol Velile Present, who has been linked to three cash-in-transit heists is appearing in court on Friday.

He was arrested last month in Soweto along with three others.

They were arrested after a cash-in-transit robbery in Dobsonville, where a security guard was shot and wounded.

The governing party said Present will face disciplinary hearing charges as an ordinary party member.

The suspects are believed to have gotten away in a white Ford Ranger and a silver Volvo sedan with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Cele said that Present had “jumped the court twice” on charges, including drunk driving.

“He was supposed to appear in court, but did not appear in court.”

Cele said the security team at Luthuli House had been “taken aback” by other matters it had discovered, but that he could not speak about these at present.

“But I am told that there have been suspicions about the guy (Present).”

ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe said in statement on Wednesday afternoon that the party had served Present with a “letter of summary dismissal” following his arrest and appearance in court “on allegations of a number of heinous crimes”.

Errol Velile Present

“The ANC expects from its members and employees to respect the laws of the land and not be involved in any criminal activity.”

Disciplinary proceedings around Present’s party membership would be held later.

Present was previously named in a R97m “farm for friends” scandal involving former minister of rural development and land reform Gugile Nkwinti.

In February 2017, the Sunday Times reported that Present had been introduced to a top land reform department official at a land summit organised by Nkwinti.

According to the newspaper, just eight months after the meeting, Bekendvlei farm in Limpopo was bought for R97m and handed over to Present, who has been working at Luthuli House for more than 10 years.

It is alleged that the department official bypassed required procedures and that a day after the deal went through, Nkwinti was the speaker at Present’s lavish wedding.

At the time, Nkwinti denied the allegations, however, the details of the deal emerged in a forensic investigation report conducted by Deloitte.

The report apparently recommended that Nkwinti be charged for possible corruption.

Source: eNCA

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