Donor ‘still unidentified’

Cape Town – DA fund-raiser Leon Markovitz, who received about R450 000 in cash from an anonymous man, told the Desai Commission yesterday he was still unable to identify the mystery donor.

Mr Markovitz, a former finance MEC in the Western Cape government, told the commission that as a DA fund- raiser he had been excited to receive the donation, because his party had been in financial difficulties at the time. However he said the donor had insisted on remaining anonymous.

The commission is investigating allegations that the DA received donations from German fugitive and alleged fraudster Jurgen Harksen. Explaining how he had come to receive the anonymous donation, Mr Markovitz said a man had visited his office in July last year and handed him an envelope which he said contained DM100 000.

He said he could only describe the man as tall with grey curly hair and with a “thick German accent”. He said the man wished to remain anonymous because he had had previous dealings with the ANC. On opening the envelope, he said he found it contained DM99 000 (about R450 000).

Asked by commission chairman Siraj Desai whether he had issued a receipt for the money, Mr Markovitz replied that he had offered to do so but the man had declined by saying: “Let’s do this my way.” Mr Markovitz said it was usual to do business in this way when it came to receiving donations to political parties.

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