The judge, the guards and the Saxonwold regulars
Bags of cash made a visit to the shebeen all the more worth it
● Deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo heard further testimony this week about the Guptas’ favourite way of trying to corrupt cabinet ministers and the heads of stateowned enterprises — bags full of untraceable cash.
Three former bodyguards of former minister Malusi Gigaba, former Transnet and Eskom CEO Brian Molefe and former Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama said all three appeared to receive bags of cash during visits to the infamous Saxonwold compound.
Mcebisi Jonas has previously told the Zondo commission into state capture that the Guptas offered him R600,000 in cash on the spot during a meeting at the compound in 2015, when he was deputy finance minister.
This would have been a down payment on a far bigger bribe for him to take over from Nhlanhla Nene and help them to loot state coffers.
The three bodyguards, testifying anonymously, this week described further instances of alleged cash handovers.
A former bodyguard of Molefe’s told the commission on Thursday that his boss always carried a backpack when he visited the Guptas.
On one occasion at Transnet’s head offices in the Carlton Centre, the bodyguard said he came across the same bag, full of money. “I was surprised to see the bag with bundles of R200 notes,” he said.
He said he asked Molefe about the money, who told him sharply “it is none of my business what is in his bag”.
Molefe on Friday told the Sunday Times that the bodyguard was lying and that he was gearing up to apply to cross-examine him.
“That guy never said he saw me being given money and also never said he saw me coming out of the Gupta house with money,” said Molefe.
“I never denied knowing the Guptas and I have never denied that I have been to their residence on numerous occasions, so I really do not know what is the significance of this guy’s testimony. But I know who he is and he has a motive and I am going to cross-examine him to expose his motive.”
Molefe said he still owned the backpack in question but could not recall the occasion when the bodyguard found it full of money.
“I still have the bag, it carries my computer and documents and I carry it everywhere I go, so I do not know why he is implying that I carried it only when I went to the Guptas.”
The bodyguard also told the commission that Molefe once sent him to the offices of the Guptas’ Sahara Computers company in Midrand to collect a bag.
“I do not recall that incident but if it did happen, what was wrong with it? So let’s say I sent him to Sahara to fetch a bag, so what? Was that an act of corruption?” asked Molefe.
He confirmed he had asked the bodyguard to make cash deposits at a bank on his behalf, but denied the witness’s testimony that the sums were as high as R20,000.
A former bodyguard and driver of Gama’s then told the commission the former Transnet CEO had stacks of cash “everywhere” and had collected one suitcase full of money from the Gupta residence. Gupta associate Salim Essa facilitated other cash handovers, the bodyguard said.
Gama and Essa could not be reached for comment.
The third bodyguard to testify provided close protection for Gigaba — who at different times held the portfolios of home affairs, finance and public enterprises — and two former Transnet CFOs, Anosh Singh and Garry Pita.
He said Gigaba once took a few R200 notes from a bag that was filled to capacity and gave them to his bodyguards to go and buy lunch. Gigaba was carrying the bag after a visit to the Guptas.
The minister, known for his predilection for flashy suits, usually paid for his clothes with rand notes, the bodyguard said.
He said that whenever Singh and Pita emerged from the Gupta residence with bags, they would ask to be driven to Knox Vault, a company in Houghton that rents out safe deposit boxes.
Singh refused to comment, saying: “I will make the appropriate comment at the appropriate time and the appropriate forum.”
Gigaba said: “I strongly deny any suggestion
That guy never said he saw me being given money [or] coming out of the house with money Brian Molefe
Former CEO of Eskom and Transnet
or insinuation that there is anything unlawful I did.” He said he was preparing an affidavit to respond to the allegation and would apply for leave to cross examine the witness.
Pita could not be reached for comment at the time of writing.
The week started with an appearance by Des van Rooyen, who was asked about his four-day stint as finance minister in December 2015 after Nene was fired.
Van Rooyen did not deny having met the Guptas on several occasions but said it was not true that they had a hand in his appointment as part of a plan to pillage the National Treasury.
The commission has heard evidence that Van Rooyen arrived at the Treasury with two advisers handpicked for him by the Gupta brothers, Mohamed Bobat and Ian Whitley.
He acknowledged this week he did not know Bobat or Whitley, but said he hired them on merit.
There was nothing in law stipulating that ministers had to surround themselves with people they knew; this could amount to nepotism, he said.