Catching Tokyo’s drift

One is born every minute [View this email in your browser]( April 20, 2021 [Mail & Guardian]( [Mail & Guardian]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( Hi there, Late on Monday afternoon the treasury and the South African Reserve Bank put out a joint statement to refute explosive claims by one-time ANC presidential hopeful and reality-show oligarch Tokyo Sexwale, that billions of rands earmarked for the poor had been pilfered. The inference was that the two institutions had been, if not actively cognisant of and involved in, then at least negligent in allowing the money to vanish. “Allegations of theft of non-existent funds have no validity,” they said in a statement that embodies what an eye-roll would look like on paper. Sexwale had told interviewer JJ Tabane on eNCA’s Power To Truth that billions of rands meant to fund the fight against Covid-19 and help the poor had been transferred into South Africa by a powerful foreign family — and then stolen. The money was held by an institution called the Heritage Fund; Sexwale said President Cyril Ramaphosa and his predecessor, Jacob Zuma, are aware of this fund. “I am part of two people who are in charge of the Heritage Fund that belongs to a very powerful family out there in the world. This fund is here in South Africa already, it comes through the SA Reserve Bank,” Sexwale said. “I’m part of two people who are mandate holders.” Another powerful foreign family? Not again. In their statement, the Reserve Bank and treasury noted that this isn’t the first time they had “previously received correspondence from Mr Sexwale and many others that alleges that billions of rands have been stolen from a fund that has been referred to as the ‘White Spiritual Boy Trust’ and which was set up by a foreign donor”. Given our national aptitude for misappropriation and misuse, it would seem like a reasonable enough thing to say on TV. Not quite. According to Phillip de Wet, a trust with that obviously serious name featured on QAnon discussion boards in March 2020. It linked various [previous conspiracies and garden-variety cons]( into a grand narrative of global domination and secret financial war. As is custom with QAnon, it is self-contradictory, unintelligible and, at times, deranged. To put it simply, the relevant part of the theory that made its way to eNCA goes something like this: the Illuminati gathered a war chest of $600-trillion, but has lost control of it, or is in the process of doing so, possibly to the “good guys” behind Donald Trump. Of that, $3-trillion deposited with South Africa’s Standard Bank, with some flowing through First National Bank too. Tinned-fish influencer and austerity Finance Minister Tito Mboweni tweeted that Sexwale’s statement was “untrue, sad and seems that he was a victim of the many scams that abound. You cannot steal transmitted money from the central bank. How? His statement on television was unfortunate. Will reach out to him.” The burden of proof is on Sexwale and his “unknown sponsor”, according to the central bank. Sexwale has to provide “independent written proof of the existence and/or transfer of such funds, as well as certified copies of actual identification and citizenship of such ‘donors’, in line with the normal Fica-type anti-money laundering requirements. Allegations of theft of non-existent funds have no validity.” Unearned virtue and intelligence is always apportioned to the wealthy or the good-looking. Unfortunately hosting and platforming tin-foil-hat conspiracies — even to debunk them or nod understandably — has the effect of giving them credence. Why did no one do a cursory check before Sexwale went on air? The police are on the case, Sexwale said. Weirdly, there’s no case number for us to check the validity of his claims. Is this an iteration of a lottery email scam? Are we being [concern trolled]( Look at the University of the Witwatersrand. Sheree Bega reports that a scientist in climate change and health at Wits says he is [disturbed and ashamed that a climate denialist was given a platform to speak at the university]( effectively legitimising his views. On 5 March, the university’s clean-coal technology research group co-hosted a lecture and webinar presentation by Lars Schernikau, who was cited in the invitation as a highly qualified, globally recognised expert in energy economics and coal. The Minerals Council of South Africa co-convened the lecture. Schernikau is a member of the CO2 Coalition, a nonprofit climate-change denial advocacy organisation established in 2015 in the US, whose motto is “carbon dioxide is essential for life” as it is the “essential food for land-based plants”. In recent weeks Professor Matthew Chersich, who works on climate change and health research at the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, has sent several emails to the department, asking if it had received any funding through its association with Schernikau; what money from fossil fuels it receives and if it would give a similar opportunity to a non-denialist. Chersich says the coal industry globally targets mining departments and climate scientists, and [funds them in return for legitimacy](. “For example, the same dissident who spoke at Wits [Schernikau] … is also seemingly held in high regard by those who co-convened the event in question.” South Africa is alive with possibilities. And we as media have a version of the duty of care. Yes, South Africa is well-versed in thievery but broadcasting and tweeting obvious nonsense for clicks and viewership is asking for trouble. There’s nothing new about looking for answers. People often look to alternative theories to make sense of or confirm their beliefs, particularly in periods of uncertainty. Woo-woo, niche ideas provide a feeling of control when presented with troubling information, calming our fears of the inevitable or unknown and, more importantly, a feeling of importance because we know something others don’t. They also create experts of just about anyone and make the most unhinged, increasingly believable and palatable. Subscribe to the Mail & Guardian for reliable news, comment and analysis. Report that email as spam, Kiri Rupiah & Luke Feltham [Subscribe now]( Enjoy The Ampersand? Share it with your friends [Share]( [Share]( [Tweet]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Forward]( [Share]( [Share]( Copyright © 2021 Mail & Guardian Media LTD, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive communications from the Mail & Guardian either at our website or by taking out a print subscription. 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