Ex-SAA chair Dudu Myeni testifies at Zondo commission via Zoom

Former South African Airways (SAA) chairperson Dudu Myeni is appearing before the chairperson of the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture on Wednesday.

Myeni will testify via Zoom at the commission after she was exposed to someone who tested positive for Covid-19. She told the commission that she was in self-isolation and therefore unable to physically appear before the commission.

Myeni, who has been declared a delinquent director following the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse and the SAA Pilots’ Association’s court application, has been implicated by witnesses that have appeared before the commission, chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.

A witness giving testimony in camera and referred to as Mr Y told the commission earlier this year that agents from the State Security Agency (SSA) provided Myeni with security protection she did not qualify for.

Mr Y also told Zondo that after the appointment of Thulani Dlomo in 2012 as the general manager of the SSA’s special operations, the unit’s mandate was changed to that of a parallel protection service for former president Jacob Zuma and that Dlomo stopped reporting to the relevant SSA authorities with regards to the operations of the unit, but allegedly reported directly to Zuma.

Zuma and Myeni are closely linked, with the former SAA board chair being a chair of the former president’s foundation – the Jacob G Zuma Foundation.

Another witness testifying in camera earlier this year told Zondo that ahead of his testimony, Myeni allegedly called his daughter to ask: “why is your father selling us out?” That witness was referred to as Mr X.

Mr X’s testimony was about various payments that were made into his business account, including three payments from Premier Attraction 1016 CC – a company Myeni’s son, Thalente, was a partner in.

Mr X also told Zondo that Myeni instructed him to transfer R1 million into the bank account of Zuma’s foundation.

The instruction, Zondo heard, came after Premier Attraction had made three payments into Mr X’s business account, including one that was done on 11 December 2015 and amounted to R1,150,000.

Mr X said he was then contacted by Myeni, who gave him banking details into which the money should be transferred. The details turned out to be those of the Jacob Zuma Foundation.

Zondo also heard from former SAA chief financial officer Phumeza Nhantsi that during Myeni’s tenure, executives worked under an atmosphere of fear and were forced to carry out illegal instructions.