Day: September 3, 2025

By Staff Writer

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has submitted a series of questions to the South African Parliament concerning the activities of business intelligence consultant Phillip Van Niekerk, his firm Calabar Africa, and related engagements involving MTN and government entities. 

Presidency

1. Will the Presidency provide full details, including:
   • (i) Dates and durations;
   • (ii) Remuneration amounts;
   • (iii) Invoices,
     relating to any contracts entered into with:
     • (a) Calabar Africa or Calabar Consulting
     • (b) Vogel Group
       for the period 2021 to date?
2. Will the Presidency provide:
   • (i) Telephone records;
   • (ii) Meeting times;
   • (iii) Meeting minutes,
     of any engagements between officials in the Presidency, including the President, and representatives of:
     • (a) Calabar Africa or Calabar Consulting
     • (b) Vogel Group from 2021 to date?
3. (i) Has the Presidency provided any remuneration or compensation of any nature for services rendered by:
   • (a) Phil van Niekerk or Calabar Africa or Calabar Consulting
   • (b) Vogel Group since 2021?
     (ii) If so, please provide full details of the nature and scope of such services.

Minister of State Security

1. Will the Minister provide full details, including:
   • (i) Dates and durations;
   • (ii) Remuneration amounts;
   • (iii) Invoices,
     relating to any contracts entered into with:
     • (a) Calabar Africa or Calabar Consulting
     • (b) Vogel Group from 2021 to date?
2. Will the Minister provide:
   • (i) Telephone records;
   • (ii) Meeting times;
   • (iii) Meeting minutes,
     of any engagements between officials of the State Security Agency (SSA) or any related intelligence entity, including the Minister, and representatives of:
     • (a) Calabar Africa or Calabar Consulting
     • (b) Vogel Group since 2021?
3. (i) Has the SSA or any related intelligence agency under the Minister’s jurisdiction provided any remuneration or compensation of any nature for services rendered by:
   • (a) Calabar Africa or Calabar Consulting
   • (b) Vogel Group since 2021?
     (ii) If so, please provide full details of the services rendered.
4. (i) Has the SSA or any related intelligence or security structure undertaken surveillance of Emma Louise Powell at any time between 2019 and the present?
   (ii) If so, please provide:
   • (a) Dates and durations of such surveillance;
   • (b) Total costs incurred;
   • (c) The legislative or regulatory basis used to authorise such surveillance.
5. Has the Ministry or the SSA procured surveillance services of any nature from any:
   • (i) Individuals;
   • (ii) Private security firms; or
   • (iii) Companies,
     based in:
     • (a) The United States of America
     • (b) Germany
     • (c) South Africa

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO)

1. Will the Minister provide full details, including:
   • (i) Dates and durations;
   • (ii) Remuneration amounts;
   • (iii) Invoices,
     relating to any contracts entered into with:
     • (a) Calabar Africa or Calabar Consulting
     • (b) Vogel Group from 2021 to date?
2. Will the Minister provide:
   • (i) Telephone records;
   • (ii) Meeting times;
   • (iii) Meeting minutes,
     of any engagements between officials of DIRCO, including the Minister, and representatives of:
     • (a) Calabar Africa or Calabar Consulting
     • (b) Vogel Group since 2021?
3. (i) Has the Department or the Ministry provided any remuneration or compensation of any nature for services rendered by:
   • (a) Phil van Niekerk or Calabar Africa
   • (b) Vogel Group since 2021?
     (ii) If so, please provide full details of such services.
4. (i) Have any employees, contractors, or entities acting on behalf of the Department or Ministry surveilled Emma Louise Powell at any time between 2022 and the present?
   (ii) If so, please provide:
   • (a) Dates and durations of such surveillance;
   • (b) Total costs incurred;
   • (c) The legislative or regulatory basis used to authorise such surveillance.
5. Please provide details of all contractors that were:
   • (i) Procured
   • (ii) Paid for by DIRCO between January 2024 – March 2025 for the rendering of any and all services required by the Department in that country.
6. Please provide:
   • (i) Details of the full nature of the technical challenges that led to the Department closing its consular and diplomatic offices in Munich in February 2024 for a number of days as per the notice of 16 February 2024;
   • (ii) Details of invoices submitted by providers who attended to such alleged technical challenges that required upgrades and led to telephone outages and the unavailability of all consular staff for the weekend of 16–18 February 2024;
   • (iii) Details of all related system upgrades and challenges that led to the closure of DIRCO offices during this time.

These questions are directed at the Presidency, the Minister of State Security, and the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO). The DA has requested disclosure of all contracts, remuneration, meetings, and surveillance activities involving Van Niekerk, Calabar Africa, and the Vogel Group since 2021.

By Staff Writer

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has submitted extensive questions in the South African Parliament regarding the growing scandal in Washington DC centred on the activities of business intelligence consultant Phillip Van Niekerk and his lobbying and research firm, Calabar Africa.

The DA has asked the President, the Minister of International Relations, and the Minister of Intelligence for urgent clarification of their relationships with Van Niekerk, Calabar Africa, and his business partner, former South African diplomat Andrew Nhlapo, in Washington DC.

According to a former South African diplomat, Van Niekerk and Nhlapo regularly brief visiting ANC ministers at the South African Embassy in Washington DC. This is reportedly corroborated by the embassy’s visitor log, which records frequent visits by both men.

A former senior MTN executive has alleged that Van Niekerk, acting as a business intelligence consultant, has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees and expenses from MTN. These payments were allegedly made while he was working under the instruction of Mcebisi Jonas, Chairman of the Board of the MTN Group and President Ramaphosa’s Special Envoy to the United States.

The revelations have raised serious concerns over conflicts of interest within both MTN’s board and the ANC government.

The DA is seeking clarity on whether Van Niekerk and his associates have briefed ANC leaders in the Presidency, the Ministry of International Relations, or the Intelligence Ministry, and whether Van Niekerk has received any payments from government sources.

Separately, the DA has filed a request under the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (PAIA), to obtain a copy of a report by the South African State Security Agency (SSA). The report was allegedly leaked by a senior official in the Presidency to the Sowetan newspaper. A whistleblower at the Sowetan has claimed that the SSA report included material supplied by Van Niekerk and agents employed by Calabar Africa regarding the DA leaders Andrew Whitfield and Emma Powell, who visited Washington DC in February 2025.

President Ramaphosa reportedly used this SSA report as the basis for dismissing Andrew Whitfield from his position as Deputy Minister of Trade in the Government of National Unity (GNU).

The DA’s spokesperson on international relations has also issued a public statement warning that “MTN’s problems must not become South Africa’s problems.” The statement further emphasises the need for transparency in government dealings with MTN and its consultants. 

The DA’s full set of parliamentary questions on the matter — directed at the Presidency, the Minister of State Security, and the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation — can be read in full [here].

Van Niekerk has been approached for comment but has not responded.