US blacklists Mugabe
South African Muslim charity also cited for funding 'terrorist' training Jun 28, 2010 10:29 PM By SALLY EVANS, ROB ROSE and SIPHO MASONDO
The US Treasury has placed former Hyundai boss Billy Rautenbach, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, and a well-known South African charity on its latest list of people it believes have funded terrorist organisations.
President Robert Mugabe Photograph by: TSVANGIRAYI MUKWAZH Credit: AP
The Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list is updated by the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which enforces economic sanctions against those listed.
The Al Aqsa Foundation of SA - which claims to be Southern Africa's "largest orphan and needy children sponsorship project for Palestine" - is the latest South African organisation to be blacklisted.
Pretoria cousins Farhad and Junaid Dockrat were placed on the list three years ago. Farhad Dockrat and Junaid Dockrat, who owns a gun shop in Fordsburg, Johannesburg, remain on the list.
Though they could not be reached for comment yesterday, the two have repeatedly denied any links to global terror organisations.
The Al Aqsa Foundation is believed by the US Treasury to be a "critical part of the Hamas terrorist support infrastructure" because it sends money to the political party in the guise of charitable contributions.
The US department's website states that "several officials" from the charity are "active supporters of al-Qaeda and [Lebanon-based group] Asbat al-Ansar".
Ayanda Ntsaluba, director-general of the Department of International Relations and Co-operation, said he was not aware of a South African individual or organisation that had been included on the US Treasury's list.
"I'm unaware of any information given to us by the US. Even if they have approached us, I'm unaware of that.
"Unless the country formally approaches us, there is not much we can do. The individuals concerned have restricted movement," he said.
Also on the list are Mugabe, his wife, Grace, and nephew, Leo. Though the reasons for their inclusion are not clear, Mugabe has recently hosted US arch enemy, Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmedinejad.
Rautenbach, who reached a R40-million plea bargain with South African prosecutors in connection with 326 charges of fraud at the beginning of the year, was included for his support of Mugabe and his "large-scale mining projects" in Zimbabwe.
Rautenbach could not be reached for comment.
Also included for supporting Mugabe is the controversial Zimbabwean multimillionaire John Bredenkamp.
US Treasury officials believe he is Mugabe's "crony" and subsidised his regime.
Earlier this year, Bredenkamp was blocked by US Treasury officials when he tried to sell a golf club in Marion, Illinois.
Bredenkamp's frozen seafood company, Breco, has also been blacklisted.
Since the 2001 terror attacks on the US, thousands of businesses and individuals have been added to the list.
The Dockrat cousins were listed for providing funds to a trust used by al-Qaeda. Junaid Dockrat allegedly "helped facilitate travel of South Africans to Pakistan for al-Qaeda training".
Junaid Dockrat's hunting-gear company, Sniper Africa, has also been listed.
But a South African Muslim leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, accused the US of "targeting anyone who supports Palestinians".
"The [US Treasury's] list is designated as collective punishment and is very distorted," he said.
"It is a very big problem if you are designated on the list. Any time you want to transfer funds from the charity it will be frozen. Anything with the name al-Aqsa is designated by the Americans," he said.
The Al Aqsa Foundation, whose management did not respond to requests for comment, is registered with the Department for Social Development and claims to have raised money for more than 300 Palestinian charities.
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Jun 29 2010 01:37:35 AM Tackler
Good. Mugabe is one of the dodgiest characters on earth. There's no depravity he won't descend to.
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Jun 29 2010 01:58:35 AM The Skank
@ townsend ---------------------------------- You are blinded by bullsh*t
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Jun 29 2010 02:29:51 AM webcaddler
am wit u townsend america en england thnk they can phychologically make us turn our backs on our leaders.damn those 2 nations r cruel jst learnt that they encourage people to consume and eat MSG contained food by saying tis not dangerous to the society.yet MSG was proven to slowly disfigure and mentally affect u.it affects the nervous system of the brain and this leads to low concentrations and low abilities to tackle hard brain storming activities.lowers the ability o communicate to others.physically is destroys you by being fat.no wonder almost half the americans are fat.now fifa is here in SA and every Fifa volunteer is givin a R60 voucher everyday to consume Mcdonalds and Mcdonals is very rich in MSG.all the Fifa voluteers are university students en working class.now they feed em msg.theyr destroying their brains so they cant think en the whole nation collapse then depends on them (america en england).i f----en hate em.f-- tackler..f---- the skank.
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Jun 29 2010 02:34:34 AM The Skank
@ townsend _____________________ Pfft, your prejudices are your own problem - you know as much about me as you do about Mugabe, and for the record, I never said sh*t about whether or not he's a state sponsor of terrorism. Unlike you I don't believe everything I am told
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Jun 29 2010 02:40:40 AM grant9
@ townsend Britain and America brought about the destruction of Rhodesia. African countries did not lift a finger. When I read a comment like yours I would love to shove in the faces of so many Brit and USA politicians and say, "See we told you so - we knew this was going to happen".
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Jun 29 2010 02:59:36 AM townsend
@the skank I have no prejudices. just the facts. and you do believe everything that you are told if you even think for one second that Mugabe is a state sponsor of terror. not once have you stated anything about this blantant lie from america and england. how can a country that has been riddle with full blown sanctions disguised as targeted sanctions even remotely endorse or have any links to terrorism at all. as I said earlier you whites have a vested interest inseeing land reform fail in zimbabwe. but america and britain are wasting their time. because land reform in zimbabwe will never be reversed Mugabe or no Mugabe. the whites in south africa are returning that land to the rightful owners also. this too shall pass, with Mugabe still in charge. if anything all this does push Tsvangirai's expiration date closer than it already was. and zimbabwe will sell their diamonds with or without approval from the kimberly process. the sales from the diamonds will bust their illegal sanctions and there will be no use for Tsvangirai then. watch and see.
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Jun 29 2010 03:59:16 AM Stewedroot
Remove the tyrant, and save the people.
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Jun 29 2010 04:34:46 AM Tackler
Mugabe is being made to feel like a fresh dog-dropping on the Oval Office carpet.
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Jun 29 2010 04:38:30 AM Truth still
Townsend when will you be leaving the land you occupy and return to the home of your ancestors. You have no right to be in the US.
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Jun 29 2010 04:55:43 AM townsend
@truth still I am a natural born citizen here, born and raised. but I will have no problem living in africa. If osama can live in a cave without any western luxury's I can survive in africa easily. @tackler I dont know about this story now. have been searching on the U.S. sites for over an hour and have found nothing. but will keep looking though. and barack had better worry about himself because his name keeps popping up in the corruption trial of former Illinois governor Rod Blagoevich. seems that the states attorneys office has him on tape making a quid pro quo for an exchange of money. but the prosecutor keeps objecting to any mention of baracks name. but last week a witness snuck one in and testified under oath that there were two other people in the room when baracks former chief campaign financier Tony Rezko made the ofer to him to illegally accept money for a political kick back the two people in the room were blagoevich and barack obama. obama has already lied under oath and said that he was never in a room with Rezko when any of his illegal deals took place. this week is going to be very big for him because its the defense turn to call witnesses and Rahm Emanuel is on the defense witness list. and he was caught on tape making illegal deals also.
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