Sleepless nights for Kodwa as he awaits a date with Ramaphosa

Embattled Deputy Minister in the Presidency responsible for State Security, Zizi Kodwa says he is not going anywhere as he faces an uncertain political future after Chief Justice Raymond Zondo on Friday called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to decide on his future.

Zondo’s recommendation is a double-edged sword for Ramaphosa, who must act against some of his prominent ANC allies, including Kodwa, who played a key role in propelling him to power.

Asked about calls for him to step aside from his position in the Presidency given the findings of the Zondo Commission into allegations of state capture, Kodwa said there was no criminal finding against him.

In the fourth part of his report, Zondo concluded that Ramaphosa should “consider” Kodwa’s position as he was beholden to Jehan Mckay, the former executive at tech giant EOH, who is accused of paying bribes to politicians and donations to the ANC to secure lucrative state tenders. Mackay made payments totalling R1.7-million to Kodwa when he was still the national spokesperson of the ANC in 2015.

“If recommendations of this commission are implemented, Mr. Jehan Mackay will be subject to multiple criminal investigations. It is untenable for the deputy minister of state security to be beholden to a suspect in multiple criminal investigations,” Zondo said.

However, Kodwa insisted that he has “reached a repayment settlement agreement on these loans with Mr. Mackay. The process has started towards repaying the full loan amounts with interest, as agreed in the terms,” he said.

“The notion that I am ‘beholden’ is unsubstantiated and false,” he added.

Sunday World has established that the release of the fourth part of Zondo’s report was causing panic among supporters of both Ramaphosa and the so-called Radical Economic Transformation forces in the run-up to the ANC elective conference in December.

This is after the ruling party amended its contentious step-aside rule to include those that have been charged to be barred from contesting leadership positions in the ANC.

Several senior ANC leaders have been implicated in acts of state capture since Zondo started releasing his reports. They include ANC chairperson and Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, who is a Ramaphosa ally, and several national executive committees (NEC) members such as Nomvula Mokonyane, Malusi Gigaba, and Mosebenzi Zwane.

In the latest report, Zondo said it was difficult to comprehend the nature of financial assistance that controversial businessman Edwin Sodi doled out to leaders of the ANC, including treasurer-general Paul Mashatile, former health minister Zweli Mkhize, and SACP deputy chairperson Thulas Nxesi.

The commission said Mashatile received R370 000 from Sodi while Mkhize got R6.5-million in payments and Nxesi received R45 000.

“There are many difficulties in comprehending the nature of the assistance given by Mr. Sodi to the ANC. For example, he does not identify the funds as going to the political party but to individuals who are members or office bearers thereof or who occupy government positions. Mr. Sodi’s method of bookkeeping and financial records thus means that Mr. Mashatile, Mr. Nxesi, and Dr. Mkhize are all tarred with the possibility that they received funds not intended for themselves, failed to obtain full records from the ANC, or the schools, and failed to furnish these to Mr. Sodi.

“Alternately, Mr. Sodi’s method of record-keeping exposes Mr. Mashatile, Mr. Nxesi, and Dr. Mkhize to the suspicion that they may have received these funds in their personal capacity and that could lead to the question of what each may have offered Mr. Sodi in return,” Zondo noted.

Mkhize deposed an affidavit in which he said the money went to the ANC, while Nxesi said the cash went to underprivileged school children. Sodi told the commission the money paid to Mashatile was for the ANC.

Mashatile said Sodi’s payments were “proven donations to the ANC nationally and provincially”.

“The ANC has in past, in the wake of allegations responded to the matter related to Mr. Sodi’s donations in the instance of Comrade Zweli Mkhize as ANC Treasurer then and Cde. Paul Mashatile who was then the Chairperson of Gauteng Province”.

He said the team the ANC appointed to process Zondo reports had resumed its work already and will submit their comments, observations, and recommendations duly.

However, Mkhize said the commission tarnished his name.

“I can think of no reason why the commission decided to list the R6,5 million which Mr. Sodi donated to the ANC under my name other than to purposefully confuse the public and unduly tarnish my image.” An ANC NEC member aligned to RET forces said the Zondo report was going to be used to target those who do not support Ramaphosa’s bid for a second term.

Another NEC member aligned with Ramaphosa said the president would be forced to take action against some of his supporters “because the ANC is not corrupt, it is individuals”.

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