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Minister of Health, Dr. Zweli Mkhize.
Alet Pretorius, Gallo Images
- The district attorney wants the Zondo commission to convene Health Minister Zweli Mkhize to testify on allegations that state funds were used to finance the ANC.
- The former head of the railway agency Lucky Montana reportedly accused Mkhize of facilitating payments to the ANC of a beneficiary of a R3.5 billion rail contract.
- Angolan businesswoman Maria Gomes is also allegedly involved.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has been slapped with accusations that he, while he was General Treasurer of the ANC, facilitated payments to the ANC of a beneficiary of a R3.5 billion railway agency contract.
The former head of SA’s Passenger Railroad Agency (Prasa), Lucky Montana, has detailed claims to the Daily Maverick about alleged financial deals involving ANC, Mkhize and Maria Gomes, an Angolan businesswoman who in 2013 and 2014 secured a portion of 40 million rand of the infamous Prasa R3. Contract for .5 billion “high trains”.
The purchased trains are not suitable for South African railways and have therefore been called “high trains”.
Montana claimed that he and Mkhize met regularly with Gomes at his home in Johannesburg in the period after Prasa awarded the controversial locomotive contract to Swifambo Rail Leasing.
READ | Senior government official tried to get Prasa to settle the disputed contract, according to Zondo investigation
Following the accusations, the Prosecutor’s Office asked the Zondo Investigation Commission to summon Mkhize and testify about his alleged role in the matter.
One of Gomes’ companies, Similex, had received around R40 million from Swifambo.
Mkhize, who was General Treasurer of the ANC at the time of the alleged meetings, is alleged to have provided Gomes with details of bank accounts in which she was asked to deposit money for the benefit of the ruling party.
DA parliamentary head Natasha Mazzone said Mkhize must testify to clarify.
“That South Africa is bleeding to death is no longer a shock to anyone. However, the degree of blatant involvement of ministers and senior politicians within the ANC is very disturbing. The economic crisis, rampant hunger and hopelessness, rising unemployment and The increase in crime rates may be directly related to the capture of the state and the rotten core of the ANC that is increasingly exposed, “he said.
READ ALSO | Zondo Commission is biased, a ‘sham’, says letter from former Prasa CEO Lucky Montana
She said, citing the Daily Maverick, while Montana insists she received assurances that these payments from Gomes and Swifambo director Auswell Mashaba were simply donations to the ANC and not kickbacks from the corrupt locomotive deal, “It is imperative that these allegations are thoroughly investigated, especially since there appear to be financial records to the contrary. “
Mazzone has also asked President Cyril Ramaphosa to launch an investigation into the allegations.
“After the corruption of Covid-19 became so obvious that President Cyril Ramaphosa could no longer ignore it, he claimed to have drawn a ‘line in the sand’ regarding corruption. If the president wants to be taken seriously, In this case it must also be ensured that the necessary investigation is initiated into the large-scale corruption in which its current Minister of Health was allegedly involved, ”he added.
He added that the country will sink into the wave of corruption if drastic measures are not taken.
“Unless the corrupt are held to account and suffer the consequences of their actions, South Africa will continue to sink under the crime tsunami and the once again proud rainbow nation will be nothing more than an Atlantean legend.”
Mkhize has yet to respond to the allegations.
Both the minister and the party did not respond to the Daily Maverick for their report.
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