Mkhize’s R80M blessing laid bare

Ex- Prasa chief claims ANC received money from Angolan businesswoman

FORMER chief executive of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), Lucky Montana, has thrown the governing party and its former treasurer-general, Zweli Mkhize, pictured, under the bus.

After two unsuccessful attempts to appear before the Zondo Commission to “lay down” what he calls the state capture no one wants to talk about, Montana has now exposed the ANC to have received money from Angolan businesswoman Maria Gomes.

Montana told Independent Media yesterday that more details about the R80 million blessing from Gomesowned Swifambo Rail company in 2016 to the Mkhize and the ANC would be laid bare at the ongoing Zondo Commission when he is given an opportunity.

The commission is probing allegations of state capture.

Montana said most of the details which are currently restricted from the public are contained in an affidavit he submitted to the commission three weeks ago.

“The full details are contained in my statement I submitted to the DCJ (deputy chief justice) Zondo over three weeks ago. I have not been given a date as yet,” he said.

Mbuyiselo Stemela, commission’s spokesperson, said: “The official notice in a form of a media advisory of who

is going to appear at the Commission hearing and on what date, is released officially to all media houses and uploaded on t he

Commission website.”

During the interview with Independent Media, Montana said Mkhize, on behalf of the ANC, received the money from Swifambo.

“In terms of the amounts, I do not know the exact amount except that Ms Gomes and … each received approximately R40 million from Mr Auswell Mashaba (Swifambo director). I spoke to Dr Mkhize in June/July 2016, who confirmed receiving some of the money and then confirmed this with Ms Gomes in London in September 2016. They both confirmed that monies were paid between them. I was present when Dr Mkhize, on more than one occasion, requested money from Ms Gomes, who agreed to make these payments. These discussions took place at the home of Ms Gomes in Athol, Johannesburg.

“Ms Gomes has been previously attacked in the media as if she was in some business relationship with the former president, Jacob Zuma. The truth is that Maria Gomes worked very closely with Dr Zweli Mkhize as ANC treasurergeneral and made payments to Dr Mkhize and the ANC in that context. I am setting the record straight in my statement to the commission,” Montana claimed.

Gomes is believed to have benefited from billions of rand from the stateowned entity Prasa for her ANC-linked businesses.

Mkhize’s spokesperson, Lwazi Manzi, said the minister could not respond to Montana’s claim because he was locked in a meeting with the World Health Organization.

Montana said he was itching to use his appearance to set the record straight regarding the issue of Prasa’s “tall trains” and the suspected corruption in their procurement.

“I am also repudiating in my statement to the commission the lie that the Prasa locomotive tender was corrupt. This is not true and is not supported by any evidence,” he said.

ANC spokesperson, Pule Mabe, when asked to respond to the allegations and whether they had processes in place to avoid getting tainted donations, said he could not respond as he was taking part in a meeting of the national working committee of the governing party.

Efforts to get comments from Gomes and Swifambo failed. The company is currently being liquidated and media reports suggest that Gomes and her husband have since left the country.