The leader of the DA caucus in the Free State Legislature, Roy Jankielsohn, has reported ANC leaders in the Fezile Dabi region and a businessman to the Hawks.
Jankielsohn wants them investigated over graft, extortion and money laundering, among others.
He wrote an affidavit in Bloemfontein on March 27, stating that he reported the matter to the Hawks due to a letter he received through a WhatsApp message on March 20, alleging the author was a Free State businessman, Robert Madie.
Demanded R3m ‘kickback’ to fund ANC
He said Madie had allegedly written to unknown recipients alleging that he was instructed to pay R3-million into a company called Sky Build after being threatened by Jonas Kotsi, the chief whip of the ANC in Mafube local municipality.
Madie stated that if he failed to make the payment, that would cause serious problems for him. His contract with the municipality would be terminated.
“The letter further indicates that he met with ANC leaders from Fezile Dabi that included a Mr Duma (Mdayedwa Mthombeni),” said Jankielsohn in his affidavit.
Sunday World can reveal that Mthombeni is the husband of the ANC regional chairperson in Fezile Dabi and the mayor of Ngwathe local municipality, Victoria De Beer-Mthombeni.
This publication also established that Mthombeni is the director of Sky Build. This is an entity Madie had claimed in his letter that the R3-million was to be deposited into its bank account.
Contractor awarded R50m tender
The DA leader said Madie had stated in his letter that he also met with other ANC individuals at the meeting.
Sunday World has established that Madie’s company was awarded a tender of more than R50-million. The said tender was for a water project in the area. And that is the contract that he is being threatened with losing if he does not pay bribes.
However, Madie could not raise the R3-million. And he ended up paying R400,000 into the account of Mthombeni’s company.
In his letter, which he had sent to Mafube mayor, Tlhoare Motsoeneng, Madie said that prior to submitting the first payment certificate prepared on November 23, he received an instruction from Kotsi and the ANC regional secretary in Fezile Dabi, Isaac Ngozo, that R3-million must be processed to Sky Build bank account on December 3.
Businessman could only raise R400k, not R3m
However, Madie wrote that he only managed to process R400,000 as he never had the R3-million demanded. He stated that Kotsi allegedly continued with his threats to terminate his company’s contract.
Madie said he was then summoned to the meeting in Kroonstad by the chief whip of the ANC in Mafube. There he met with Duma (Mthombeni), the husband of the regional chairperson (De Beer-Mthombeni) and some few members from the Moqhaka area.
He said in his letter that the discussion was about him and his company having to fund the ANC Fezile Dabi region. The R3-million was the amount required for that. And if he and his entity failed, the municipality would be instructed to terminate his contract.
“I then informed them that we have been awarded the project fairly. But they insisted that at the end of the day, I need to assist the organisation at the regional level. The sad part is that it was R3-million or cancelation of the tender. We then refused to agree on their terms. And that’s when we were informed that they had objected to the project,” said Madie.
R400k was later used for personal gains, not for ANC
He later discovered that the R400, 000 paid into Mthombeni’s business account was never used for the ANC in the region. It was used for personal gains.
“We then confronted the mayor to inform him that we are not going to carry on with the project if this matter persists. And that was because the money that is requested by the chief whip of the ANC is unreasonable. We are much prepared to donate and voluntarily assist the party. But not with the manner in which we were held at ransom to deliver,” said Madie.
Madie also made serious allegations. He claimed that him and his business associates had already spent R11-million out of their own pockets, with the hope of getting any payments from Mafube. However, they were informed by the Department of Water and Sanitation that R12-million was allocated to the municipality to pay them.
Sunday World has seen the proof of payment made into the account of Mthombeni’s company, Sky Build. It shows that a R400, 000 transaction was made on December 3 last year.
Case includes corruption, extortion, money laundering
Jankielsohn said that Madie was threatened through a state-funded contract as leverage to fund Sky Build account by senior ANC leaders in the Fezile Dabi region, including Kotsi.
The DA leader requested the Hawks to investigate possible criminal acts. These include corruption, extortion, theft of state funds, nepotism, and money laundering.
He told Sunday World that he was informed by the Hawks that the matter was transferred to the office of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in Welkom for investigations.
De Beer-Mthombeni said: “I don’t know that person and I have never met him at all. This is a political campaign against me. I am just a politician who got dragged into things I know nothing about. I have no dealings with Madie or whoever. As for my husband, he can speak for himself as he is a businessman in his own right.”
Mthombeni denies accusations
Mthombeni said: “I have never met that Madie person, and I don’t even know how he looks like. I only know Mbunana of Mbunana Construction. And I have learnt that he is the business associate of Madie. They are in a joint venture business through Moroka JV Mbunana Building.
“I do have business that I do with Mbunana. And I admit that the R400, 000 was deposited into my business account, just like other business transactions made between Mbunana Construction and Sky Build. It’s surprising why only that R400 000 transaction is the one being flagged. While there are other transactions made between my business and Mbunana company.
“I never had a meeting with Madie in Kroonstad, it’s all nonsense. I never discussed anything related to him paying ANC in Fezile Dabi R3-million. Beause I have nothing to do with the ANC funding. I am suing him for dragging my name in the mud. I don’t even understand why my wife’s name is being dragged into things she has nothing to do with.”
Kotsi takes legal action to defend himself
Kotsi also dismissed Madie’s claims as hogwash.
“I have never met this person. And I don’t know why he is mentioning my name in things I know nothing about. My lawyers are dealing with the matter to take him to the cleaners for defaming me,” said Kotsi.
Ngozo did not respond to questions sent to him at the time of going to print.
