Bishop guilty of corruption
DISGRACED Bishop Mzukisi Banzana, who received kickbacks amounting to R3-million for helping businesses to secure housing contracts, was found guilty on four counts of corruption when he appeared in the Port Elizabeth Commercial Crimes Court yesterday.
Banzana was previously general manager of the Mzingisi Development Trust (MDT).
The trust was established in 1992 with the specific aim of alleviating the suffering of indigent communities in the Port Elizabeth area.
In 2004, Arnold Whiteley submitted a quote to the trust for the rectification of poor workmanship in respect of 1 000 houses erected as part of a Bethelsdorp Phase 1 low-cost housing development.
Banzana asked Whiteley, a building contractor, to make an upfront payment of 10% of the contract value to secure the deal.
The court heard that the suggestion was agreeable to Whiteley, but he was not able to pay the amount in advance.
Banzana and Whiteley agreed that the payment be made after he received his money from the MDT.
Whiteley made six payments totalling R221 800 between April and December 2004.
Between December 2004 and January 2005, the court found that Banzana asked Whiteley to pay a further R150 000 to ensure the contract for the construction of 1 211 housing units.
Whiteley only managed to pay the bishop R50 000 in cash, and in the end was not appointed to construct the units.
In 2007, Curtis Daniels, of Build for Africa, was approached by Banzana to construct the units.
The evidence was that Banzana asked Daniels to make an advance payment of between R400 000 and R500 000 to secure the contract.
Daniels managed to make four cash payments totalling R130 000. Shortly thereafter, he was issued with an appointment letter to construct the houses.
Daniels was, however, not able to meet demands for further payments. As a result, Banzana refused to sign a formal contract and instead issued Daniels with a letter terminating his services in November 2007.
Banzana then appointed MOM Constructions CC to construct the units.
Wentzel Meyers and his brother, Jocelyn, were members of MOM. Between April 2008 and March 2009, they made four payments totalling R2 925 092 to Banzana.
The court heard that this money was used by Banzana to buy a BMW 750i and a Nissan Pathfinder, and to settle the payment for a VW Polo and the outstanding bond on a house in Theescombe. All his assets were later confiscated by the state.
The court indemnified all state witnesses after it was satisfied with their evidence.
Banzana will be sentenced on July 17.