Former ANC regional secretary Zandisile Qupe laughed off allegations he had “lost” R1m.
He also rejected allegations that Port Elizabeth businessman Fareed Fakir had bankrolled him as detailed in a statement by attorney David le Roux.
“It is really amazing. How can one lose R1m?
“I could not even lose R100. I look after what I have carefully,” Qupe said.
“They might say it happened, but it never did.
“How would someone just give you another R1m after losing R1m?
“I can’t even tell you where you can store R1m.”
Regarding the MercedesBenz ML, Qupe said he’d had to return the vehicle.
“You can check with Wesbank or Mercedes-Benz that I was paying for it.”
Qupe said he had returned the vehicle as he could no longer afford the instalments after the ANC’s regional executive committee was disbanded in 2015.
“I had to cut costs that I was paying for. That MercedesBenz I was paying on a monthly basis,” he said.
“When the structure was disbanded and I left the office in January 2015, I was not getting any form of income that could sustain the expense.
“As a result, the MercedesBenz was taken back.
“If it was paid cash, I wouldstill be driving it. It was never in my name as it was owned by Wesbank.”
Of the trip to Cape Town, he said he had always planned and paid for his own holidays.
“I take my kids. I will go to Cape Town, Durban or Fort Beaufort.
“I planned those but Fakir would not be paying for my holidays.”
Qupe said he had met a number of people, including Fakir, Le Roux and Mhleli Tshamase.
“Tshamase was part of the ANC machinery.
“The Le Roux brothers were also part of programmes.”
Asked if they had met at Fakir’s house, as alleged by Le Roux, Qupe said they had met on a number of instances but never just with Fakir, Le Roux and Tshamase.
“There would be other professionals present.
“I never had a meeting with just the three of them.
“All the meetings at Fakir’s house would always be with the Muslim leadership.”
Qupe said he had never benefited from the IPTS money.
Asked if the ANC had bene-
fited from the IPTS contracts, he said: “I refuse to respond because I won’t say the ANC benefited from the IPTS money.
“I never knew what the IPTS money looked like or who had IPTS money.”
Qupe said he did not know why Le Roux had made the allegations. “I don’t know what he was thinking of.
“But there is a lot that has been taking place in political circles.
“There have been challenges in the party, but I don’t know what Le Roux has against me as I don’t have anything against him,” he said.
Qupe said he knew the Le Roux brothers through the ANC.
“They have been attending ANC gatherings.
“They were among the white community in the region that showed interest in the ANC.
“When it comes to Fakir, it was the programmes of the anti-Palestine occupation by Israel [where I met him].”
Qupe said it would be strange for a person not working for the municipality to be so involved with the IPTS.
“I was only a regional secretary who had a responsibility to oversee the activities of the ANC caucus.
“My only involvement with the municipality was to attend caucus meetings of ANC programmes,” he said.
Meanwhile, an extensive list of questions was sent to attorney Danie Gouws, who is representing both Fakir and Tshamase.
Gouws said neither of the men were prepared to comment as they did not have sufficient information regarding the allegations made against them.
“At this stage, it is just that – allegations,” he said.
Le Roux’s attorney, Lunen Meyer, said the municipality had issued a summons to recoup IPTS money from Le Roux’s firm.
Le Roux had made a R2m repayment offer to the metro, which was rejected.
“As we speak, the matter will likely end up in court,” Meyer said.
Asked about the statement by Le Roux given to the municipality, he said: “An unsigned statement is not a statement.
“It is also stuff that will be ventilated in court.
“I can’t comment as to the veracity of what he said. The statement is what it is,” he said.
Hawks provincial spokesperson Captain Annelisa Feni said: “We do not discuss any of our investigations, even if they are of public interest, until they are completed.”