ANC donations and government tenders not linked, Zondo told

Testifying at the Commission of Inquiry into of State Capture on Monday, City of Johannesburg mayor Geoff Makhubo argued that there was nothing malicious in the ANC requesting donations from businesses working with the metro.

Makhubo returned to the witness stand to give evidence relating to his tenure as the ANC Johannesburg regional treasurer – from 2008 to 2018, which allegedly solicited regular donations worth millions from IT service management company EOH in exchange for tenders at the City of Johannesburg.

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During proceedings, Makhubo told the commission that he does not recall or know why he received an email of a tender proposal from former EOH executive Patrick Makhubedu.

“I don’t remember reading this document and I don’t remember this document. As I say it’s meaningless to me [because] IT was not even part of my portfolio,” he said.

Makhubo, however, did concede that if he was involved in the procurement process it would have been improper.

He added that he did not call Makhubedu to ask about the email because “it was just one of those emails”.

This proposal was related to the upgrading of City of Johannesburg’s network and security infrastructure in 2014.

Makhubo says he has no recollection of the email that was sent to him by Mr Patrick Makhubedu on Friday, August 29, 2014. #StateCaptureInquiry

— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) May 17, 2021

Addressing another email relating to the ANC Youth League conference in Johannesburg, Makhubo confirmed that the payment of more than R500 000 was made by EOH.

“Yes, I remember this email of me requesting money for the conference,” the mayor said.

Evidence leader Matthew Chaskalson then questioned Makhubo about the R6.18 million he requested on behalf of the ANC, to which the mayor responded that the request was made in effort raise funds.

“[We sent the email] to say that from August to January there would be activities that would be carried out by the [Johannesburg] region [and we would need assistance] in the different months because 2014 was a very busy year towards the end. So that’s basically part of the funding raising efforts amongst others that we sent to EOH.”

Makhubo had sent the email to former EOH executive Jehan Mackay in August 2014.

Adv Chaskalson reads that the Grand total of the amount requested for the donation on the letter is R6 180 000.00 (Six million, one hundred and eighty thousand rands). #StateCaptureInquiry

— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) May 17, 2021

The mayor also argued that the donations were appropriate.

“Whoever is willing to fund the ANC we send proposals and its transparent so it should be appropriate.”

When asked by Chaskalson in what were the transparent proposals, the mayor indicated that it was a private matter.

“This is a private matter between the [ANC and its donors]… it’s only now that the [Political Party Funding] Bill was passed that private donations above R100 000 must be disclosed, but previously of course between the organisation and whoever donated to it was kept a secret except when we go to conferences we would account to our own members.”

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Makhubo dismissed the narrative that it appeared like impropriety due to the ANC soliciting donations from companies working with the metro.

“I always said I don’t sell tenders because I don’t deal with tenders. Whether [the business] win the tender or not, it doesn’t depend on whether [they] fund the ANC or not. There are lots of businesses having transactions and doing business with the city, but they don’t fund the ANC and it doesn’t work against them.”

The mayor further said there was no causality in the matter.

“I don’t think so because I was a player in requesting money. For me it doesn’t really appear [that way] unless you expressly say if do not fund [the ANC] you won’t get a tender. I don’t see how it appears that there’s causality between funding the organisation and getting the tender.”

Watch the proceedings live courtesy of the SABC: