Hawks head Lt-Gen Godfrey Lebeya says the arrest of sports, arts and culture minister Zizi Kodwa and his co-accused, businessman Jehan Mackay, brings to 21 the number of people arrested by the state capture task team. In addition, eight organisations have been charged.
"The arrest of the two today [yesterday] brings the total number of those arrested by the DPCI [Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation – Hawks] in matters relating to state capture to 29, which includes 21 natural persons and eight juristic persons," said Hawks spokesperson Brig Thandi Mbambo.
"The work is continuing. The other members of the DPCI shall continue to work with the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption in matters that are handled by that entity."
Mbambo said Lebeya has welcomed the recent arrests, saying that the work of the DPCI investigators assigned to the state capture task team and the advocates from the National Prosecuting Authority is commendable.
Kodwa and Mackay handed themselves over at the Bramley police station on Wednesday morning and appeared in the Palm Ridge specialised commercial crime court in Ekurhuleni.
The minister is accused of receiving almost R1.7m from Mackay, a former executive of EOH Group, between February 2014 and April 2015. Kodwa was ANC spokesperson at the time.
The Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture said in its report that EOH Group, an IT solutions firm, and its entities including Mackay, paid Kodwa R1,68m and another R30,000 for his personal benefit.
At the time, EOH Group had several tenders with the City of Johannesburg and according to the commission, the payments could have been for Kodwa to influence more tenders in EOH's favour.
Mbambo said: "After the commission released the fourth report in June 2022, where several recommendations required that law enforcement agencies should institute criminal investigations, the national head of the DPCI [Lebeya] established a state capture task team to investigate identified matters.
"Among those recommendations was a case involving an entity which specialises in the provision of technology services to businesses, IT [information technology] services, systems integration, software, industrial technology and business process outsourcing received tenders from various government departments.
"Investigation revealed that during the period from 28 April 2015 to 2 February 2016, an executive on behalf of his entity enticed his co-accused to gratification amounting to R1,710,000 for the personal benefit.
"The monies are reported to have been utilised for the purchasing of a luxury SUV and payment of luxury accommodation," said Mbambo.
Other people who were implicated in corruption which the commission recommended a probe into their conduct include former mineral resources minister Mosebenzi Zwane, who was granted R10,000 bail by the Bloemfontein magistrate’s court in September 2022.
Zwane is a close ally of former president Jacob Zuma, who is central to the state capture scheme. Zwane's trial is set to take place from August 5 to September 13.
He is charged with fraud, theft and money laundering alongside former Free State agriculture and rural development department head Peter Thabethe, former agriculture MEC Seipathi Dhlamini and Takisi Masiteng. Their co-accused are former Sahara Computers employees who are also Gupta associates – Kamal Vasram, Ronica Ragavan and Ugeshni Govender.
The six stand accused of plundering R280m from the Free State department of agriculture meant to support local emerging farmers through the state-funded Vrede Dairy Farm project.
Former ANC secretary-general Ace Magashula, who is also a former premier in Free State, and flamboyant Gauteng entrepreneur Edwin Sodi, and 16 others, are appearing in the Free State High Court for a dodgy R255m asbestos contract.
Magashula's US-based former personal assistance Moroadi Cholota, is one of those charged in relation to the matter.
Magashule is facing 21 counts of fraud, money laundering and corruption in relation to the 2014 contract.
Former Transnet and Eskom CEO Brian Molefe and his co-accused, former Transnet financial officer Anoj Singh, former Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama and former acting CFO Garry Pita, will return to court in October.
They are charged alongside former group treasurer Phetolo Ramosebudi, Regiments Capital shareholder Eric Wood and his employee, Daniel Roy, and Kuben Moodley.
Evidence tabled before the commission implicated them in a R398.4m corruption where they stand accused of contravention of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), fraud, corruption and money laundering in connection with Transnet’s procurement of 1,064 locomotives in 2015 worth over R54bn. The matter involves Trillion Capital – a company linked to the Gupta family.
– Additional Reporting by Lindile Sifile
Kodwa's arrest 29th by state capture task team
Former sports minister granted R30k bail
Image: Herman Moloi
Hawks head Lt-Gen Godfrey Lebeya says the arrest of sports, arts and culture minister Zizi Kodwa and his co-accused, businessman Jehan Mackay, brings to 21 the number of people arrested by the state capture task team. In addition, eight organisations have been charged.
"The arrest of the two today [yesterday] brings the total number of those arrested by the DPCI [Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation – Hawks] in matters relating to state capture to 29, which includes 21 natural persons and eight juristic persons," said Hawks spokesperson Brig Thandi Mbambo.
"The work is continuing. The other members of the DPCI shall continue to work with the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption in matters that are handled by that entity."
Mbambo said Lebeya has welcomed the recent arrests, saying that the work of the DPCI investigators assigned to the state capture task team and the advocates from the National Prosecuting Authority is commendable.
Kodwa and Mackay handed themselves over at the Bramley police station on Wednesday morning and appeared in the Palm Ridge specialised commercial crime court in Ekurhuleni.
The minister is accused of receiving almost R1.7m from Mackay, a former executive of EOH Group, between February 2014 and April 2015. Kodwa was ANC spokesperson at the time.
The Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture said in its report that EOH Group, an IT solutions firm, and its entities including Mackay, paid Kodwa R1,68m and another R30,000 for his personal benefit.
At the time, EOH Group had several tenders with the City of Johannesburg and according to the commission, the payments could have been for Kodwa to influence more tenders in EOH's favour.
Mbambo said: "After the commission released the fourth report in June 2022, where several recommendations required that law enforcement agencies should institute criminal investigations, the national head of the DPCI [Lebeya] established a state capture task team to investigate identified matters.
"Among those recommendations was a case involving an entity which specialises in the provision of technology services to businesses, IT [information technology] services, systems integration, software, industrial technology and business process outsourcing received tenders from various government departments.
"Investigation revealed that during the period from 28 April 2015 to 2 February 2016, an executive on behalf of his entity enticed his co-accused to gratification amounting to R1,710,000 for the personal benefit.
"The monies are reported to have been utilised for the purchasing of a luxury SUV and payment of luxury accommodation," said Mbambo.
Other people who were implicated in corruption which the commission recommended a probe into their conduct include former mineral resources minister Mosebenzi Zwane, who was granted R10,000 bail by the Bloemfontein magistrate’s court in September 2022.
Zwane is a close ally of former president Jacob Zuma, who is central to the state capture scheme. Zwane's trial is set to take place from August 5 to September 13.
He is charged with fraud, theft and money laundering alongside former Free State agriculture and rural development department head Peter Thabethe, former agriculture MEC Seipathi Dhlamini and Takisi Masiteng. Their co-accused are former Sahara Computers employees who are also Gupta associates – Kamal Vasram, Ronica Ragavan and Ugeshni Govender.
The six stand accused of plundering R280m from the Free State department of agriculture meant to support local emerging farmers through the state-funded Vrede Dairy Farm project.
Former ANC secretary-general Ace Magashula, who is also a former premier in Free State, and flamboyant Gauteng entrepreneur Edwin Sodi, and 16 others, are appearing in the Free State High Court for a dodgy R255m asbestos contract.
Magashula's US-based former personal assistance Moroadi Cholota, is one of those charged in relation to the matter.
Magashule is facing 21 counts of fraud, money laundering and corruption in relation to the 2014 contract.
Former Transnet and Eskom CEO Brian Molefe and his co-accused, former Transnet financial officer Anoj Singh, former Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama and former acting CFO Garry Pita, will return to court in October.
They are charged alongside former group treasurer Phetolo Ramosebudi, Regiments Capital shareholder Eric Wood and his employee, Daniel Roy, and Kuben Moodley.
Evidence tabled before the commission implicated them in a R398.4m corruption where they stand accused of contravention of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), fraud, corruption and money laundering in connection with Transnet’s procurement of 1,064 locomotives in 2015 worth over R54bn. The matter involves Trillion Capital – a company linked to the Gupta family.
– Additional Reporting by Lindile Sifile
WATCH | What Zizi Kodwa said in State Capture testimony
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