The truth or giving SA 'a Hollywood movie script'?: Sexwale stolen money claims get mixed reaction

ANC veteran and businessman Tokyo Sexwale's latest comments on money allegedly stolen from a “Heritage Fund” has drawn more reactions online. 

On Thursday, Sexwale addressed the media about billions of rand allegedly stolen from the fund.

Sexwale first made the allegations on Sunday on eNCA but finance minister Tito Mboweni rubbished them. The National Treasury and the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) slammed the allegations as false.

According to Sexwale, the money from the Heritage Fund was meant to help poor students with free education and fight against the Covid-19 pandemic in SA, among other things.

He said he was one of those in charge of the fund, together with what he called a “very powerful family”. He said the money was in SA and came into the country through the SARB.

Reiterating his claims, Sexwale said the money was stolen and he was not scammed.

He maintained that president Cyril Ramaphosa and former president Jacob Zuma were aware of the money in the central bank.

He said if the scam story is real, then his “comrades” should help him retrieve the money.

“Who is scamming who here?” asked Sexwale.

“I need help from my comrades. They have means in the presidency and the bank and Treasury to check anything on this matter, I am left high and dry,” he said.

Sexwale also urged journalists to help him investigate where the money was, after he was asked to provide proof of the money from the fund.

“I can't show you the money because I am trying to get it out, but I am telling you my account."

On Wednesday, in a joint statement, the National Treasury and SARB said they previously received correspondence from Sexwale and many others alleging that billions of rand have been stolen from a fund which has been referred to as the “White Spiritual Boy Trust” and which was set up by a foreign donor.

“On investigation, the SARB can confirm it had no record of the existence of the said fund and had advised Mr Sexwale in writing that, given the SARB’s experience and knowledge of this and other similar matters, it could only conclude the alleged fund was a scam.

“It should be noted that Mr Sexwale is not the first prominent person acting on behalf of an unknown donor, for such funds, and such requests can be traced to many years before 2016.”

On social media, many weighed in on what they called “Tokyo's Show”, with some saying maybe there might be more to the story. 

Others were left in stitches by some of the claims. 

Here is a snapshot of some of the reactions.