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The way former environmental affairs minister Nomvula Mokonyane acquired a luxury Aston Martin vehicle surfaced again in state capture hearings on Thursday and the evidence leader wanted to know where he got the money to buy it from.
The vehicle became the subject of an investigation following testimony in July 2020 from Charl le Roux, an electrician who worked for Bosasa at the Mokonyane home. Le Roux saw the vehicle inside a garage and mentioned it as one of the outstanding items that he remembered seeing at Mokonyane’s house after the company shipped it there.
Le Roux’s testimony followed that of former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi, who presented evidence that Mokonyane had received monthly payments from the company.
While Mokonyane’s appearance on the commission was expected to address her relationship with Bosasa, she questioned what prompted the commission’s “curiosity” about the Aston Martin.
“You will recall that Mr. Agrizzi said that Gavin Watson paid him sums of cash, and now he has a car that costs more than R3m and there is a deposit of R2m. We needed to find out where you got the money from, ”said test lead Viwe Notshe SC.
An investigation by the commission found that a deposit of R2.2m was paid for Mokonyane’s car.
Notshe questioned Mokonyane’s ability to pay for the car, as his salary could not cover it. Mokonyane said it was purchased through a “business arrangement” with a family friend.
“My husband had been working. He had ventured into a very closed business sector. He had people who were advising and supporting him, and they could see that it was a good business that had the potential to grow, “he said during his testimony Thursday.
