Accenture calls letter inviting Elyas in South Africa fake — Daily Maverick
In South Africa, Accenture confirmed that a document that allegedly invited Democratic Alliance (DA) candidate Abdulkader Elyas to moderate a panel discussion was not a genuine letter or communication from the company. Daily Maverick reports, citing Elyas's correspondence from his time serving on the University of Cape Town student representative council in 2018–2019.
In March 2019, Elyas explained his absence from a student council meeting by claiming he had an obligation to a “sponsor” to host a panel discussion. After being asked to provide confirmation, he sent a document that appeared to be a letter on Accenture letterhead, inviting him to moderate an event on the role of strategic consulting in emerging economies.
Accenture spokesperson Jonathan Mahapa, after reviewing the document, told the publication that it was not a genuine letter or communication from the company. He also noted that the email address stated in the document used a format that Accenture does not use.
Claims about speaking engagements and companies
In another letter dated April 1, 2019, Elyas told then student council president Asanda Lobelo that he could not disclose all information about his “sponsors” because of a non-disclosure agreement. At the same time, he attached a letter with redacted sections which, he said, was meant to confirm several planned speaking engagements.
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In this document, Elyas was described as the head of Bokamoso Philanthropic Organisation and Elyas Investment Inc, as well as the majority shareholder of the educational platform Teach Me 2 and several other companies. Daily Maverick reported that it found no confirmation of the existence of some of these entities or information that Elyas had been a director of a South African company.
Teach Me 2 founder and CEO Nick Miller confirmed to the publication that Elyas had never been a shareholder in the company. According to him, Elyas applied for a job as a tutor but discontinued the process after being asked to provide documentary proof of his claimed qualifications.
Disciplinary proceedings in the DA
Before a meeting of the DA Federal Legal Commission, Elyas was fourth on the party's proportional list for the Cape Town council in the November local elections. The commission was to consider his further status in the party following reports that he had failed to comply with the terms of an earlier disciplinary agreement.
As News24 wrote, in September 2024 Elyas admitted guilt in providing false information about qualifications he allegedly obtained at the University of Cape Town in medicine and actuarial science. The terms of the agreement included a ban on holding internal party positions. Elyas declined to comment to Daily Maverick for publication, while DA federal council chair Ashor Sarupen did not comment on internal disciplinary matters.
