Premier ready to testify at Zondo commission

North West Premier Job Mokgoro has noted the mention of his name at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture during Kutlwano Phatudi’s testimony and is willing to appear before the commission.

Phatudi is the chief financial officer in the provincial department of community safety and transport management.

The premier’s spokesperson Vuyisile Ngesi told OFM News that the mention of Mokgoro’s name did not mean he was implicated in any wrongdoing and that he was prepared to appear before the commission and cooperate should he be subpoenaed.

This comes after Phatudi informed the commission on Friday that former North West premier Supra Mahumapelo’s office approved a R50 million payment for the running of two airports – Pilanesberg, near Sun City, and Mahikeng, both in North West – to SA Express without following proper procurement procedures.

She also told the Commission of Inquiry that on March 16, 2015, her department received an invoice to make a R50 million prepayment to SA Express, without the amount having been budgeted for. Furthermore, her former boss and head of department Bailey Mahlakoleng wrote to Mokgoro, who was at the time North West’s acting director-general, requesting for Mahumapelo’s office to make the prepayment on behalf of her department.

Phatudi said her department had no obligation to pay SA Express before the signing of the agreement, which Mahlakoleng had instructed the department’s legal section to draft.

– OFM New

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