Right-hand man to former SAA board chairperson Dudu Myeni lawyer Nick Linnell has resurfaced at the Zondo commission.
The public first got to know about Linnell when it came to light that he was an advisor for SAA, under Myeni’s instruction. Linnell was paid R167,000 a month and wrote media releases even though spokesperson Tlali Tlali was present. In addition, Linnell was Myeni’s confidante, City Press reported.
So close was Linnell to Myeni that he would accompany her on meetings to discuss SAA and later Eskom, with former president Jacob Zuma.
Read more: Who is Nick Linnell? ‘Mr Fix-it’ at SAA, Eskom for #Zupta
In the context of SAA, former chairperson of SAA Technical (SAAT), Yakhe Kwinana told Judge Ray Zondo that Nick Linnell was a regular at board meetings. Such meetings are reserved for executives, invited officials and board meetings. Highly confidential, the meetings are not open to ordinary members of the public which Linnell essentially was.
Kwinana confirmed Linnell would also address the board, making presentations and recommendations to be implemented by the board.
As head of the audit and risk committee, Kwinana saw no issue with Linnell’s presence and never questioned it. Zondo, surprised at Kwinana’s assertion that Linnell was free to come and go as he pleases, asked why the board never took it up with management.
“And if you see there is an outsider how can you keep quiet? An outsider is hearing what the board may be discussing which may include sensitive matters?” Zondo asked.
“In some meetings we would have outsiders by invitation. I wouldn’t know who has invited him in what capacity. In the meetings we would attened, I don’t think there was any board memebr who questioned what his role was,” Kwinana explained.
At Eskom, the Zondo inquiry was told, Linnell was a fixer for Myeni and quite powerful in his influence. Linnell would provide insight on how Eskom should be run, even going as far as drawing up the suspension letters of four executives who were fire to allegedly make way for the Guptas.
During his testimony Linnell, who is based in Cape Town and runs a consultancy agency, said he performed services for Myeni. He met the ex-SAA chairperson at Umhlatuze water board in KwaZulu-Natal through a colleague and began a working relationship which saw them co-create strategies to run SAA and Eskom. Their collaboration gave rise to several corrupt deals which the Zondo commission continues to hear testimony about.
