How Mbalula, Tbo Touch’s Vegas trip was ‘sponsored’ by ANC tenderpreneur

Police Minister Fikile Mbalula and radio personality Tbo Touch’s R1-million trip to Las Vegas for a boxing match between international superstars Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao was sponsored by an ANC benefactor and tender mogul, Wandile Bozwane.

Wandile Bozwane was killed in an apparent hit in 2015. At the time of his hit, Bozwane was involved in a prolonged encounter with the North West provincial government over a R456-million hospital tender. Tsoga Developers, a company linked to Bozwana, and Hannes Peyper Incorporated, a law firm based in Bloemfontein, won a controversial tender worth R456 million for the construction of a new government hospital in Brits.

Bozwana was known to fund ANC members frequently. At Bozwana’s funeral, Mbalula spoke highly of Bozwana, calling him a generous man.

“He has shared his money with people, including musicians. He was one person I would abuse financially … and sometimes for political reasons,” he said.

News24 obtained papers in which Bozwana instructed the Bloemfontein law firm to pay Thabo ‘Tbo Touch’ Molefe R1 million, which was allegedly used to pay for the minister’s trip to Las Vegas.

“Mbalula was in truth, and in fact, the recipient and beneficiary of the payment of the amount of R1 million, the amount having been paid to the fifth defendant [Molefe] as Mbalula’s nominee,” read the court papers.

The papers also show that there have been several other payments before from a trust account managed by Hannes Peyper on behalf of Tsoga Developers.

According to Peyper and his colleague’s plea, the payment forms part of R42-million payments made on Bozwana’s instruction. This includes R23.7 million paid to Bozwana himself and a further R17.3 million paid to Hannes Peyper Incorporated.

Mbalula’s spokeperson, Esethu Hasane, has denied these claims and accused News24 of denigrating the minister.

There has been a plea filled by the law firm requesting Mbalula to be joined as the defendant in the case, as it evidently shows that the R1-million payout was for him.

Seeing as “the fifth defendant [Molefe] does not have a direct and substantial interest in the relief sought in these proceedings, Mbalula should have been cited as a defendant in these proceedings,” according to the plea.

“The plaintiff [Tsoga Developers CC] claims payment from the fifth defendant [Molefe] of an amount of R1 000 000.00 on the basis that the fifth defendant is the ‘third party’ to whom payment of the amount aforesaid was made ‘on behalf of the Minister of Sport’,” reads the plea.

According to Hasane, News24 is “try[ing] to draw a narrative that the minister was the beneficiary of the late Mr Bozwana’s businesses and that a loan was given to them for some trip to Las Vegas”.

Such claims are “incorrect and absolute hogwash,” said Hasane.

Molefe was not available for comment.

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