SOUTH AFRICA – ANC Chief Whip Mdumiseni Ntuli has opened a criminal case against DA MP Dr Mark Burke, alleging that financial irregularities surrounding Burke and his company, Kastelo, amount to possible fraud and criminality. The escalation follows a South African Reserve Bank (SARB) investigation into the company’s financial activities.
According to the ANC, a SARB investigation found that Kastelo allegedly contravened South Africa’s exchange control regulations, involving transactions valued at four billion rand. Ntuli stated that these actions constitute violations of financial intelligence legislation in the Republic of South Africa, as well as the National Credit Act, necessitating a formal investigation by law enforcement agencies.
The ANC initially demanded Burke’s removal from Parliament’s finance-related portfolios, specifically the portfolio committee on finance and appropriation, pending the outcome of the reserve bank’s investigation. Ntuli noted that the Democratic Alliance’s immediate compliance in removing Burke from the committee signaled that the party possessed prior knowledge of his involvement and the company’s alleged defaulting of the South African Reserve Bank.
In response to the initial developments, the DA confirmed that Burke was removed from the finance committee and the party’s finance cluster as a precautionary measure. The party stated this step was taken to avoid any perception of a conflict of interest while the SARB investigation remains ongoing.
Regarding the ANC’s decision to escalate the matter by pressing criminal charges, the DA has declined to comment. The party maintains that the reserve bank’s administrative process must be allowed to run its course, emphasizing that no formal finding of wrongdoing has been made against Burke personally at this stage.
