Prosecutors must ensure Myeni case is not bungled
The arrest and release on R10,000 bail of disgraced former SAA chair Dudu Myeni is a small but significant step towards holding state capture culprits accountable. Myeni allegedly received security upgrades valued at more than R200,000 for her premises in Richards Bay from Bosasa subsidiary Sondolo IT, whose former director Trevor Mathenjwa is her co-accused. Myeni is also accused of receiving hotel and travel benefits from Bosasa, facilitated by Blake Travel and valued at more than R100,000.
The significance of efforts to hold her accountable is not merely in the benefits she received, but in who she was in the broader state capture effort. She is a close associate of former president Jacob Zuma and served as a chair of his foundation. The state capture commission heard how she received designer bags stuffed with cash for her role as a wrecking ball, mostly at SAA, for which she was declared a delinquent director three years ago.
Many will remember her for defiantly naming a protected witness against the express directive of state capture commission chair Raymond Zondo — a move that saw her plead guilty and pay a fine of R120,000 last year to avoid a two-year jail term. The commission report went on to say she acted with “corrupt intent” throughout her term at SAA. For a while she was the face of impunity.
Her arrest comes as a relief for many. But we also know enough about the levels of incompetence bedevilling our police and prosecution authorities to not assume it will automatically translate into a successful prosecution. The Nulane case in the Free State, which came apart spectacularly, comes to mind. As does the bungled extradition of the Gupta brothers from the United Arab Emirates.
We implore National Prosecuting Authority boss Shamila Batohi to step up in this, and similar cases. Put simply, we ask her not to make excuses after the fact. She must ensure that the evidence before prosecutors aligns with the charges Myeni and Mathenjwa face. That, surely, is not too much to ask.