The Zondo Commission has heard today how the deputy minister of state security Zizi Kodwa was paid thousands from EOH’s public sector vertical head, Jehan Mackay.
Steven Powell of forensic company ENSAfrica was appointed to investigate corruption, bribery and fraudulent activities at EOH in 2018. Group CEO Stephan Van Coller was fresh in his role when he realised that the company was in the red, had taken out a R3.2bn loan to fund its operational activities while engaging in a breach of financial controls.
In his testimony at the Zondo commission on Monday, Van Coller said he brought in ENSAfrica to find out how the company had found itself in such a precarious position. Powell has told the commission that his investigations discovered through an analysis of emails and bank statements that Mackay had made several payments between 2015 and 2017 to the ANC spokesperson at the time, Zizi Kodwa.
Kodwa is now the deputy minister of state security in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Cabinet. He has been implicated at the Zondo commission before, for receiving R180,000 from businessman Edwin Sodi, who was arrested for the R255m asbestos scandal in the Free State last month.
Powell told the state inquiry commission that McKay owned a company, Tactical Software Solutions (TSS), which he sold to EOH in 2011. TSS would then receive large deposits of money and payments would be made to Kodwa shortly thereafter.
The table of payments made to Zizi Kodwa below
“Payments seemed to happen after deposits to Mackay’s personal bank accounts. First Mackay would receive the amounts then payments would happen,” said Powell.
The commission also heard how monies were transferred to former President Jacob Zuma’s advisor Siybulela Zintwa and Reggie Nkabinde, who was the treasurer of the ANC Youth League.
At one stage, Nkabinde was given R500 000 and this was listed as a loan. Sintwa was paid R341 000 in several transactions. It is unclear as to why the payments were made.
Powell is continuing his testimony at the commission.
Related articles:
- How EOH CEO Stephen van Coller paid back money to govt for tender fraud, corruption
- Zondo arrests: Hawks swoop on Edwin Sodi, graft-tainted Free State housing execs
- EOH to sell R1bn of non-core businesses; blacklists 50 companies
Watch Steven Powell’s full testimony at the Zondo Commission below.
