Mpho Scott Explained

Party:African National Congress
Office1:Member of the National Assembly
Termstart1:1994
Termend1:2003
Citizenship:South Africa
Birth Date:14 October 1965
Birth Name:Mpho Innocent Scott

Mpho Innocent Scott (born 14 October 1965) is a South African businessman and former politician who represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly from 1994 to 2003. He chaired the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs from 2002 until 2003, when he resigned from politics to pursue his business career.

Parliament: 1994–2003

In South Africa's first post-apartheid elections in 1994, Scott was elected to represent the ANC in the National Assembly.[1] He served until 2003, gaining re-election in 1999 on the ANC's list for KwaZulu-Natal.[2] He sat on the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence[3] and was investigated, and cleared, on allegations that he had received benefits (a car) from a state contractor in the controversial Arms Deal.[4] From 1 May 2002, he chaired the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs.[5] [6] In early 2003, he resigned from his seat in order to pursue his career in business.[7]

Business career

Scott was chairman of Savula Investment Holdings, a company formed in 1999 to acquire a 0.5 per cent stake in Cell C; politicians Sipho Gcabashe and Siyabonga Cwele were also involved in the company, Gcabashe as a director and Cwele as a shareholder.[8] By early 2003, Scott was also chairperson of Indosa Terminal & Logistics Services and a director at Igagasi Engineering and African Legend Investments. In March of that year, African Legends Investments led a consortium of companies which concluded a black economic empowerment deal with Caltex Oil's South African subsidiary, as a result of which Scott became a non-executive director at Caltex. In 2007, he became a non-executive director at ConvergeNet holdings.[9]

Scott occasionally attracted media attention for doing business with the state. He was a director of Secureco Metsu, contracted to provide security to municipal properties in Durban, though he denied that his party-political connections had any bearing on the tender.[10] Savula Investments, through Prop 5 Corporation, benefitted from state correctional services contracts, but he said he resigned from Prop 5 around the time he left Parliament.[11] In addition, Scott, with Gcabashe and opposition politician Senzo Mfayela, was a shareholder in Dezzo Holdings, which received a controversial R2.1-billion contract to build low-cost housing outside Pietermaritzburg.[12]

Personal life

He is married to Ntombikhona Scott.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 1998-06-03 . Members of the National Assembly . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/19980628034746/http://www.parliament.gov.za/mps/mps.html . 1998-06-28 . 2023-04-12 . Parliament of South Africa.
  2. 11 June 1999 . General Notice: Notice 1319 of 1999 – Electoral Commission: Representatives Elected to the Various Legislatures . . Pretoria, South Africa . . 408 . 20203 . 26 March 2021.
  3. Web site: Bolin . Lynn . 10 March 2003 . Caltex SA appoints BEE directors . 2023-04-14 . Business . en-US.
  4. Web site: 15 November 2001 . 'No substance to claims' . 2023-04-14 . News24 . en-US.
  5. Web site: 25 April 2002 . Major ANC Parly reshuffle . 2023-04-14 . News24 . en-US.
  6. Web site: 2002-05-23 . Taking the Bill by the horns . 2023-04-14 . The Mail & Guardian . en-ZA.
  7. Web site: 2003-04-30 . ANC’s brightest heading out . 2023-04-14 . The Mail & Guardian . en-ZA.
  8. Web site: 2011-09-23 . Collaboration, conflict and Cell C . 2023-04-14 . The Mail & Guardian . en-ZA.
  9. Web site: Anderson . Belinda . 20 September 2007 . Reverse listing revival . 2023-04-14 . Business . en-US.
  10. Web site: 2017-08-24 . Durban security contract hints at political interference . 2023-04-14 . The Mail & Guardian . en-ZA.
  11. Web site: Myburgh . Pieter-Louis . 25 May 2014 . How state, taxpayers get milked . 2023-04-14 . News24 . en-US.
  12. Web site: Naidoo . Nalini . 2011-07-13 . Housing tender storm grows . 2023-04-14 . Witness . en.