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By Zintle Mahlati 
1 hour ago
Johannesburg – Former Minister of Environmental Affairs Nomvula Mokonyane has reversed her earlier testimony at the Zondo commission regarding her Bosasa-sponsored 40th birthday party held at a guesthouse in Krugersdorp in 2003.
Mokonyane appeared in the investigation Thursday. She had previously appeared in July, but after witness testimony, she was called in to explain the contradictions in her testimony.
Former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi testified last year in the investigation that Bosasa had paid for Mokonyane’s 50th anniversary party, which was themed “Breaking a leg” at a Krugersdorp boarding house.
Agrizzi then corrected his evidence to claim that it was, in fact, a 40th birthday party.
Mokonyane had denied that Bosasa had ever organized a party for her when she appeared in July.
The owner of the Krugersdorp-based Victorian Guest House, Frederick Hendrik Coetzee, appeared after Mokonyane and told the investigation that his guesthouse had hosted a Mokonyane 40th anniversary celebration in 2003, which was paid for by Bosasa.
Coetzee said Agrizzi approached him to organize a birthday party in June 2003. He said he was told the event was for Mokonyane and that Bosasa would cover the costs of the party.
Coetzee provided the commission with invoices showing that it had invoiced Bosasa and Agrizzi for the costs of the celebration, which amounted to 41,000 rand.
When confronted with the commission’s evidence leader and Supreme Court Vice President Raymond Zondo over the contradictions, Mokonyane backtracked and admitted that he had attended a birthday celebration dinner at the Victorian Guest House.
She blamed the confusion, on her first denial of attending a party at the venue, on Agrizzi saying that she first said it was a 50th birthday party, but was later corrected.
Mokonyane said that when he saw Coetzee’s evidence, he recalled that he had attended a surprise birthday dinner for his 40th birthday, which was supposed to be a family dinner, but turned into a party.
“By reading the statement, I can confirm that I went to a private dinner and not to break his leg. I can confirm that there was a dinner, it was not a party as Mr. Agrizzi said. It was a surprise at the place and it was not my 50th birthday .
“I live in Krugersdorp and that place is closer to where we live. It has been used for various other activities. We left home with the understanding that we were going to have a private dinner. Upon arrival there were people and some were my friends. I could not identify to Mr. Agrizzi there. It was a sit-down dinner and more than a decade ago. There were people who spoke and no speaker from Bosasa. There was no Agrzzi who spoke, “Mokonyane insisted.
Mokonyane insisted after he was shown the transcript of what he said in his earlier testimony, that he only denied ever having a party at the guesthouse because Agrizzi mentioned it was a 50th birthday party.
“I had gone to dinner there, I hadn’t planned it. It turned out to be a dinner with a lot of other people there. When I testified, I was worried about my 50th birthday which was framed as ‘breaking your leg’. He said there were many other parties that were taken out in the Victorian guesthouse, “he said.
Zondo appeared unconvinced by Mokonyane’s response and pressed her further about her change in evidence.
“Someone could say that it cannot be true that you can remember that other parties were held in the place, but you could not remember that your birthday was celebrated there. Someone could say that it was not convenient for you to remember your 40th birthday because it I would credit Agrizzi’s evidence that this special relationship existed between you and Bosasa or between you and Gavin Watson, “Zondo asked.
“I walked into these cameras and the whole world was focused on my 50th birthday called ‘breaking a leg’. I had to say there was no 50th birthday called ‘breaking a leg’, it was my 50th birthday. For me, the chair, is where am I, “he said.
On who paid for the party, Mokonyane said he didn’t know if Bosasa paid for the party. She said all her husband told her was to be ready that night for a birthday dinner.
She said she was not sure whether her husband, Serge Mokonyane, knew of Bosasa’s involvement in paying for the party.
Mokonyane’s lack of knowledge about who financed the party was unconvincing and concerned Zondo, who asked why he never asked who had paid for the party.
Zondo asked, “One of you must have known. If you say you didn’t know, then your late husband must have known.”
Mokonyane: “He may have been approached to say that we have arranged this and please make sure to bring her. He may have known or may not have known.”
Zondo asked Mokonyane further: “I can understand that he (her husband) didn’t tell you that day, but I would have expected him to tell you later that the real people who made it possible were Mr. Gavin Watson.”
Mokonyane: “We never ventured into that. We both knew we didn’t pay for the party. We didn’t organize it.”
Mokonyane has now concluded his evidence.
MESS
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