Parliament Launches Urgent Oversight Probe Into Alexkor Amid Mounting Corruption Claims

The Portfolio Committee on Minerals and Petroleum Resources has resolved to conduct an urgent oversight visit to Alexkor, the state-owned diamond mining company, following serious allegations of systemic corruption, collapsed oversight, and governance failure.

The decision comes after a compelling petition and presentation by the Equitable Access Campaign (EAC), a group representing small-scale marine diamond miners who were once contracted to work under Alexkor. According to EAC’s Gavin Craythorne, numerous investigations into alleged corruption at the company have either stalled or been shut down without providing answers to the public.

“There is more than enough evidence of corruption at Alexkor. The issue is that no one has acted decisively. Our call is not for another investigation—it’s for public hearings into why truth and accountability were suppressed,” Craythorne told Business Report.

Years of Audit Disclaimers and Unanswered Inquiries

For the past five years, Alexkor has received repeated audit disclaimers, a signal that the company’s financials have been opaque and unreliable. Craythorne cited multiple inquiries into Alexkor that were either shelved or ignored, including:

• Parliamentary hearings

• A forensic investigation by Gobodo Consultants

• Evidence presented to the Zondo Commission of Inquiry

Craythorne alleged that these processes were shut down to prevent public scrutiny, allowing corruption to continue under the radar.

Adding urgency to the matter, Craythorne also questioned why no investigation had been launched into alleged threats made against two Members of Parliament, Cathy Labuschagne and Ellen Prins, who had attempted to exercise oversight over Alexkor.

Committee Responds: “We Must Treat This as Urgent”

Committee chairperson Mikateko Mahlaule said Parliament is prioritizing the oversight visit as a first step toward deciding whether to launch a full investigation or public inquiry.

“We understand the EAC has conducted its own investigations over the past 16 years, but we must determine how best to move forward within the powers Parliament has,” Mahlaule said.

The move is also supported by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s proclamation for the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to probe Alexkor’s affairs, as well as ongoing discussions about the recommendations in the Zondo Report.

Collapsing Accountability and a Community in Crisis

The EAC argues that the collapse of governance at Alexkor has had devastating consequences for local communities and South Africa’s marine diamond sector. Craythorne cited a mix of predatory business practices, climate pressures, inequitable access, and concentrated ownership as having decimated a once-thriving coastal economy.

Supporting Craythorne’s testimony was Bianca Goodson, a former CEO of Trillian Management Consulting and a whistleblower during the State Capture inquiries.

“His pursuit of justice has come at great personal cost—much worse than I faced during my own whistleblower journey,” Goodson said. “And unlike me, the risks for Gavin and his colleagues still remain.”

The upcoming oversight visit marks a critical moment in Alexkor’s long-running saga of alleged corruption and failed oversight. Whether Parliament treats this matter as an official inquiry or deeper investigation, pressure is mounting for transparency, reform, and justice for communities affected by Alexkor’s troubled operations.

{Source: IOL}

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