Oilgate
Encyclopedia
Oilgate is a South Africa
n political scandal in which the petrol company Imvume
Holdings was accused of paying R11 million of state money to the ruling African National Congress
shortly before the elections. The money had been received from a state oil company, PetroSA, as part of an advance payment for a quantity of oil condensate that had been procured from Glencore
, an international company.
The scandal broke in an article written by the newspaper the Mail and Guardian. Imvume was able to get a court order restraining the Mail and Guardian from publishing the article, but was subsequently outmanoeuvred when the Freedom Front Plus, an opposition political party, revealed the same information in Parliament
. Under South African law, political groups making representations in parliament may not be subjected to legal action for the content of their statements. Since the information was now in the public realm, the Mail and Guardian was able to print the article.
Imvume Holdings has since become embroiled in the United Nations
Oil for food scandal, but no immediate connection seems to exist between these two events.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n political scandal in which the petrol company Imvume
Imvume
Imvume Holdings is a South African oil company. It shot to fame recently as a result of its involvement in what the South African press have dubbed the Oilgate scandal....
Holdings was accused of paying R11 million of state money to the ruling African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
shortly before the elections. The money had been received from a state oil company, PetroSA, as part of an advance payment for a quantity of oil condensate that had been procured from Glencore
Glencore
Glencore International plc is a multinational mining and commodities trading company headquartered in Baar, Switzerland and with its registered office in Saint Helier, Jersey...
, an international company.
The scandal broke in an article written by the newspaper the Mail and Guardian. Imvume was able to get a court order restraining the Mail and Guardian from publishing the article, but was subsequently outmanoeuvred when the Freedom Front Plus, an opposition political party, revealed the same information in Parliament
Parliament of South Africa
The Parliament of South Africa is South Africa's legislature and under the country's current Constitution is composed of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces....
. Under South African law, political groups making representations in parliament may not be subjected to legal action for the content of their statements. Since the information was now in the public realm, the Mail and Guardian was able to print the article.
Imvume Holdings has since become embroiled in the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Oil for food scandal, but no immediate connection seems to exist between these two events.