Zuma-linked businessman offered to pay for trip to US to capture me – Molefe

Former chairperson of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) Popo Molefe on Thursday told the commission of inquiry into state capture of the attempts by businessman Roy Moodley to capture him.

Evidence leader at the commission, advocate Vas Soni, told the commission that Moodley’s Royal Security – a company which scored a tender at Prasa in 2010 – paid former president Jacob Zuma monthly instalments of R64,000 between 2007 and 2009.

Soni also told the commission that Moodley had at some stage hosted the former president at a Durban July race day.

Molefe told the commission of three instances where Moodley allegedly attempted to capture him. These were an invitation extended by the businessman to the former Prasa chair to a golf tournament hosted by the former; an invitation from Moodley to Molefe to the Durban July; and an offer by Moodley to cover Molefe’s expenses for a 2015 trip to attend the US Masters golf tournament.

“Chairperson, the phenomenon of state capture, it entails the repurposing of institutions and organisations in order to achieve the objectives of those who are intent on capturing those institutions,” Molefe said, adding that the modus operandi of those intent on carrying out state capture involved manipulating and compromising key decisionmakers in state institutions.

“Quite often these individuals would know what is the capital programme of the company, what are the key projects that are going to be coming, and in each instance what are the budget allocations for each one,” Molefe said, with the “end game” being “to loot the public till”, he added.

Molefe said capturers employ various methods to capture people holding critical positions in state institutions, including offering them freebies and money, among other things, which “results in them becoming beholden to them”.

Molefe told the commission that he first met Moodley at an exhibition in Berlin, Germany.

“By that time I knew [he was a service provider at Prasa],” he said.

He said he had cautioned one of the executives at Prasa about being publicly seen to be “tongue and saliva” with the businessman as this would raise eyebrows. At a later stage he had raised his concerns about the close ties Moodley had with management at the agency, as this could raise suspicion.

However, he told the commission that he does not know whether his advice was heeded.

“My sense is that Mr Moodley continued to do so, [have a strong presence at Prasa], also it appeared at that time he had been very close to the group CEO [Lucky Montana],” he said, adding that Montana at the time told him that Prasa had sponsored one of Moodley’s golf tournaments, which the former CEO encouraged Molefe to attend and Moodley invited him to.

But Molefe said he never attended the tournament.

Molefe told the commission that employees at Prasa had told him that Moodley was “Mr Prasa”  and they had said he owned the agency, which was like his farm.

Molefe said when Moodley invited him to the Durban July the businessman had mentioned that Zuma would also be present as well former minister Jeff Radebe.

He said the fact that Zuma was on Moodley’s payroll was a good example of how state capture unravels.

Molefe said Moodley had told him a few times that Zuma had attended his events, as well as other ministers, including Dr Zweli Mkhize.

Molefe said Moodley had also attended Zuma’s 2016 State of the Nation address as a very important person.

Molefe said he had declined Moodley’s offer to foot the bill for his trip to attend the American golf tournament.

He said he was particularly “scared” when he found out that Moodley had asked for money from businessmen abroad so he, Moodley, could cover the costs for the trip, which prompted him, Molefe to “quickly” pay his own way.

Molefe was worried about what “appeared to be a concerted effort to compromise me”.

“What was quite clear, he was looking for an opportunity where he could be with me, far away in circumstances where he had financed everything,” Molefe said.

Molefe further told the commission that in April 2015 he had sent Moodley and his partner away from an event Molefe had organised.

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