Ndebele’s graft case to be heard in court

Former transport minister Sbu Ndebele would be in the Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Thursday when his fraud, money laundering, bribery and corruption case starts, he told Business Day in an interview on Monday. Ndebele resigned quietly as SA’s high commissioner to Australia in October.

Former transport minister Sbu Ndebele has told Business Day he will appear in the Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Thursday when his fraud, money laundering, bribery and corruption case starts.

Ndebele resigned as SA’s high commissioner to Australia in October, following controversy surrounding his alleged involvement in the irregular extension of Tasima’s multimillion-rand contract to run the electronic national administration traffic information system (eNatis). Tasima and the transport department are involved in a separate protracted legal battle over eNatis.

During an interview with Business Day on Monday, Ndebele said he would not discuss the merits of the case in the media or whether or not he had met with President Jacob Zuma to iron out a “political solution”. Instead, he would let the matter get aired in court.

“I will be handling this matter on Thursday when I appear in court. If there is anything you would like to know, I would ask that you speak to my attorney,” Ndebele said.

He described reports of him meeting with Zuma as “mischievous” and refused to discuss whether or not he had approached the president about the case. Ndebele would also not comment on whether he believed the charges against him were politically motivated.

Linda Dube, Ndebele’s attorney, told Business Day he was instructed to represent his client and would not comment on allegations that Ndebele had approached Zuma to intervene.

“The client did not instruct me that such a meeting took place, so I take it that there was not such a meeting,” said Dube.

Presidency spokesman Bongani Ngqulunga, justice ministry spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga and National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Luvuyo Mfaku could not be reached for comment on Monday.

However, the Presidency has issued a statement denying any meetings took place between Zuma and Ndebele to discuss the case.

NDEBELE IS ACCUSED OF RECEIVING MORE THAN R10M IN BRIBES FROM TASIMA

Ndebele is accused of receiving more than R10m in bribes from Tasima, which is locked in a legal dispute with the transport department and the Road Traffic Management Corporation over the handover of eNatis.

In November, the Constitutional Court found that a fiveyear extension won by Tasima to run the system from 2010 was unlawful. The court ordered that it be handed over to the Road Traffic Management Corporation within 30 days.

This has not happened and the matter is due to play out in court on Thursday.