The corruption case of former SAA board chairperson Dudu Myeni and co-accused Trevor Mathenjwa has been postponed to November to allow for Myeni to fully recover from her illness.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s investigating directorate spokesperson, Henry Mamothame, said the Johannesburg High Court postponed the case to November 21.
Myeni and Mathenjwa face charges of corruption and fraud amounting to about R300 000.
“This amount was allegedly offered and received as gratification from Bosasa and its subsidiary, Sondolo IT,” said Mamothame.
The state accuses Myeni of failing to disclose her interests in terms of the SAA conflict of interest policy during her tenure as the chairperson of the airline’s board.
Myeni allegedly received security upgrades for her Richards Bay premises in May 2014 and March 2015, to the value of about R200 000.
She is further accused of benefiting from hotel accommodation and travel expenses for her and persons close to her from Bosasa, facilitated by Blake Travels, between May 2014 and March 2015, for over R107 000.
Out on R10 000 bail each
Myeni and Mathenjwa are currently out on R10 000 bail each and are expected back in the Johannesburg High Court when the matter resumes in November, pending Myeni’s fitness to attend trial.
In April, the Richards Bay magistrates’ court postponed the case against Myeni to May 10, for it to be transferred to the high court in Johannesburg.
The matter was then postponed in Myeni’s absence, as it was indicated by her attorney that she was hospitalised.
The attorney of Mathenjwa, who is accused number two in this matter, was also absent due to ill-health.
In 2022, the Johannesburg magistrates’ court sentenced Myeni to a fine of R120 000 or two years of imprisonment, half of which was suspended for five years, on condition that she was not convicted of defeating or obstructing the administration of justice during the period of suspension.
Myeni made her first appearance at the Johannesburg magistrates’ court on March 29, 2022, and was charged with defeating or obstructing the administration of justice, with alternative counts of contravention of the Commissions Act (hindering or obstructing a commission in the performance of its functions) and contravention of the Commission Regulations of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture.
Identification of Mr X
She pleaded guilty to the charge of defeating or obstructing the administration of justice and entered into a plea and sentence agreement with the state
The charge stemmed from her testimony at the Zondo commission on November 4-6, 2020, wherein the chairperson of the commission (then Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo) informed her of his order, among other things, that the identity of a witness who had testified should not be disclosed or published.
Zondo had ordered that the said witness be referred to as “Mr X”. However, Myeni continued to identify Mr X on four successive occasions.
After hearing submissions from the legal team of the commission and Myeni, Zondo directed that a criminal complaint be registered with the police.
