SOUTH AFRICA-POLITICS: CONTROVERSY OVER BOESAK’S UN APPOINTMENT

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

JOHANITA LOUW

PRETORIA, Dec 28 1994 (IPS) - PRESSURE HAS BEEN MOUNTING ON PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA’S GOVERNMENT TO RECONSIDER THE APPOINTMENT OF FORMER ANTI-APARTHEID CAMPAIGNER ALLAN BOESAK AS SOUTH AFRICA’S AMBASSADOR-DESIGNATE TO THE UNITED NATIONS IN GENEVA.

FRESH ALLEGATIONS THAT BOESAK MISAPPROPRIATED AID FUNDS HAVE PROMPTED THE FORMER RULING NATIONAL PARTY (NP) TO DEMAND THAT HIS APPOINTMENT BE REVOKED.

THE NEW CLAIMS HAVE COME FROM A DANISH ORGANISATION, DANCHURCH AID (DCA), WHICH SAID A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION INTO THE FINANCES OF BOESAK’S FOUNDATION FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE INDICATED THAT HE BORROWED AT LEAST 100,000 RAND (ABOUT 30,000 DOLLARS) FOR PERSONAL USE.

ANOTHER FIVE PEOPLE CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF THE FOUNDATION ALSO BORROWED SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF MONEY DONATED BY DCA, THE AID AGENCY CHARGED.

THE FIVE INCLUDED FOUNDATION TREASURER FREDDIE STEENKAMP WHO REPORTEDLY BORROWED 200,000 U.S. DOLLARS TO BUY A HOUSE WHEREAS AVERAGE HOUSE PRICES IN CAPE TOWN’S UPMARKET SUBURBS ARE LESS THAN 150,000 DOLLARS.

BOESAK LAST WEEK DENIED HE HAD BORROWED ANY MONEY FROM FUNDS MADE AVAILABLE BY DCA, BUT ACCORDING TO A REPORT IN THE AFRIKAANS DAILY ‘DIE BURGER’, STEENKAMP CLAIMED IN A SWORN STATEMENT TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE THAT THE AMBASSADOR- DESIGNATE USED THE FUNDS, WHICH WERE EARMARKED FOR PROJECTS TO IMPROVE THE LIVING CONDITIONS OF IMPOVERISHED SOUTH AFRICANS.

HOWEVER, IN A RECENT TELEVISION INTERVIEW BOESAK ADMITTED THAT MONEY WAS BORROWED FROM THE FOUNDATION, ALTHOUGH HE SAID HE DID NOT THINK IT SHOULD HAVE ANY BEARING ON HIS APPOINTMENT.

A DCA SPOKESPERSON, ELSABE KROGH, SAID WEDNESDAY THE DANISH ORGANISATION WAS STILL TRYING TO GET HOLD OF DOCUMENTS OF BOESAK’S FOUNDATION “IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH THE EXACT AMOUNT BORROWED BY HIM.”

THE DCA IS THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION THIS YEAR TO CLAIM BOESAK MISAPPROPRIATED AID MONEY.