Whistleblower Fred Daniel on the “corruption emergency that’s killing the country”

For 15 years Fred Daniel has faced unthinkable intimidation, destruction of property, obstruction of justice, and even death threats by a criminal cabal in Mpumalanga. The entrepreneur and conservationist, turned whistleblower, built the Nkomazi Wilderness Reserve, a collection of 89 farms he painstakingly amalgamated in the area between Badplaas and Barbeton - a UNESCO world heritage site. His conservation mission was scuppered by a “criminal enterprise targeting the public purse”, exploiting the land reform process in order to loot. In an extensive interview with BizNews correspondent Michael Appel, he explains the personal and professional cost involved in standing in the way of grand scale corruption. It’s graft that Daniel believes involves Deputy President David Mabuza as the “strongman” of Mpumalanga. Earlier this week, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse referred several criminal complaints related to Mabuza’s tenure as both MEC for Agriculture and Land Administration, as well as Premier of Mpumalanga, to the NPA’s Investigating Directorate. In a statement, the Deputy President’s office said: “This complaint is a regurgitation of old allegations by Fred Daniel, which have been and continue to be litigated in other courts, including the High Court. Every application that Mr. Daniel has filed against the Deputy President has been rejected with punitive costs. The judicial system has found him to be a dishonest litigant who takes advantage of the system.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices