Epstein Files: Cape Town emerges as playground for scouting models

A fresh cache of files related to the investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has put the City of Cape Town in the spotlight.

The documents, which include emails from the explosive “Epstein Files”, reference former President Jacob Zuma, US President Donald Trump, and other high-profile figures, including South African-born businessman Elon Musk, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and British billionaire Richard Branson.

Documents

The tranche of documents published by the US department of Justice, which runs to 3 million pages, was released on Friday, 23 January.

In the latest trove, an email thread was sent between Epstein and an individual identified as “Daniel.”

In the email, Daniel wrote to Epstein informing him that a modelling agency called “Pure Management” had sent photos, presumably of women.

ALSO READ: Notable names in Epstein file dump

Photos

Lianne from Pure Management first sent Daniel the email with the photos.

“Hi Daniel. Hope you are well! Herewith a package below of Annika who is 20yrs old and we are wanting to place her in Paris. She is available to travel from November onwards. Please let me know your thoughts, thanks so much, Lianne xx.” [sic]

Cape Town playground

Daniel then shared the email with Epstein with the following message, which was littered with grammatical errors.

“He mother agency send me her pictures want me to place in Paris why not New York? I’d like to go back to south Africa to scout , I was very seek with a flu when I was there I am planing to go in the end of may for a month, the potential of girls is huge and great people Warmest regards Daniel,”[sic] he said in the email to Epstein.

Jacob Zuma

Zuma’s name also surfaced in the Epstein files, detailing a meeting during a three-day state visit to the United Kingdom from 3 to 5 March 2010 at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II.

In one email, Mark Lloyd, who identified himself as a friend of Epstein, wrote to Vera to arrange a “small dinner” with Zuma.

The email in the Epstein Files sent on 4 March 2010, reads as follows:

“Dear Vera, I am a friend of Jeffrey Epstein, and I have been asked to help arrange a small dinner tomorrow night for President Jacob Zuma of South Africa at the Ritz Hotel at 7:00pm tomorrow evening. Jeffrey suggested that I invite you, as you would be certain to add some real glamour to the occasion.

“A friend of Jeffreys is a friend of mine, so I have no hesitation inviting you to join us. If you are not put off by the extremely short notice and would be able to accept, can you let me have a little more information about yourself as well as your full name ( as I have to present the President with a summary of the guests in advance). With best regards, Mark Lloyd,” [sic] the email read.

WATCH: Zuma’s MK party’s electoral success orchestrated by ‘apartheid forces’, Mbeki claims

Russian model

Zuma seemingly had an intimate dinner with Epstein and a Russian model.

The Jacob Zuma Foundation dismissed claims that the former president was involved in any “unlawful conduct” following the emergence of the documents and emails.

Epstein

Epstein was an American financier and convicted sex offender who died in August 2019. His death and the subsequent release of millions of documents have continued to generate significant public and legal controversy.

His associate Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison for her role in facilitating his abuse of teenage girls.

ALSO READ: Trump administration denies cover-up over redacted Epstein files