Former Police Minister Bheki Cele has alleged that the Umkhonto Wesizwe Party (MKP) is being financed by individuals involved in criminal activities. Cele made the remarks on Thursday while appearing before the Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations of police corruption against Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Cele told committee members that the MKP receives funding from Louis Liebenberg, an alleged illegal diamond trader commonly known as “LL.”
“There is a guy called LL — his real name is Louis Liebenberg. He is known as the king of Zama Zamas. He deals in diamonds worth millions and is currently in jail for illegal diamond trading,” Cele said.
According to Cele, Liebenberg allegedly financed activities linked to MKP leadership. “He funds MKP — maybe through Baba (Jacob Zuma) — because he once paid R500,000 for a private matter to be taken to court. MK members have even shown up to support him during his court appearances,” Cele told the committee.
Liebenberg was previously arrested for a large-scale diamond scam in which investors were allegedly defrauded of $225 million.
Cele added that while some may have met Liebenberg without knowing his criminal background, “the crux of the matter is that you can meet a person and only later discover how deep their activities go.”
