Johannesburg - Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane said on Wednesday that he would probe illicit exports of mineral resources after consistent reports from credible sources revealed questionable financial flows out of South Africa.
This comes after an affidavit by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in October revealed that the department of mineral resources withheld information related to its approval of the transfer of R1.5 billion from a trust account for the rehabilitation of Optimum Coal Mine, owned by the Gupta family, to India's Bank of Baroda.
Gordhan's affidavit further stated that an additional R6.8 billion in transfers by Gupta-owned businesses were flagged as "suspicious" by South African banks, which referred these transactions to the Financial Intelligence Centre.
In a brief statement, Zwane said if the reports were true, that meant the country's economic sovereignty was undermined through the mining of minerals that were subsequently illegally exported.
"This matter will receive priority attention early in the new year, and if it warrants a forensic investigation, this will be done, so that we can take decisive corrective action," Zwane said.