Nhleko explains to Zondo how he employed a convicted fraudster

Former minister of police Nathi Nhleko on Monday explained to the chairperson of the commission of inquiry into state capture, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, how it came about that during his tenure at the ministry he employed a convicted fraudster.

Nhleko was responding to testimony by former Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) head Robert McBride given at the commission last year that the former minister employed a Zimbabwean, Leon Mbangwa, who had no security clearance, as chief of staff in his office.

Nhleko told Zondo that a recruitment process he conducted led to him finding Mbangwa at the employ of the KwaZulu-Natal legislature as a senior manager and being satisfied with his qualifications, knowledge and experience, arranged for him to be laterally transferred to his office.

Nhleko told Zondo that Mbangwa holds numerous qualifications, including a masters degree, all of which have been provided to the commission.

Zondo further heard from Nhleko that Mbangwa has no less than 20 years experience in the South African public service, including senior positions in various government departments.

Mbangwa has also represented South Africa in East Timor and the United Nations has issued a certificate of appreciation to him in this regard, which was also provided to the commission, Nhleko said.

If Mbangwa was not being transferred to his office but was being employed for the first time in government, the criminal record would have been declared, Nhleko said, adding that at the time he hired Mbangwa he was not aware of his criminal record relating to an identity document.

McBride told the commission last year that Mbangwa’s real name is Lionel Moyo.

Nhleko said when he came to know about the issue of Mbangwa’s citizenship and criminal record, he confronted him. Mbangwa explained that he had served 18 months of his 36 months jail sentence and upon his release in 2004 was given a letter to apply for citizenship through descent.

Nhleko pointed out to Zondo that Mbangwa was never deported and that before his arrival at his office  “he always declared his criminal record” and had completed a Z204 form.

The department of Home Affairs has failed to adhere to a Pietermaritzburg High Court order that Mbangwa is issued with citizenship after a DNA test was done to determine his descendency, the commission heard. The test was in Mbangwa’s favour, Nhleko said, adding that the results of the said test have also been provided to the commission.

“This is a very worrying tendency, for some state departments not to comply with court orders,” Nhleko said.

He took issue with Mbangwa being referred to in testimony at the commission and in public as a foreigner, saying it is “absurd and lunacy at best to suggest any African person is a foreigner on African soil”.

This, Nhleko, said, was a result of centuries of white supremacy and dominance, the borders of African countries resulting from the 1884 Berlin conference which divided the continent with the aim of plundering it, and maiming and raping its people.

Zondo questioned Nhleko whether he accepts that there is an issue if a member of parliament, which the former minister was at the time Mbangwa was transferred to his office, doesn’t accept the law declaring African people from countries outside South Africa as foreigners.

To which Nhleko said the correct reference, in particular, in Mbangwa’s case, would be the use of illegal immigrant, adding that he maintains that the latter term in comparison to referring to people as foreigners is “conceptually different”.

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