More bombshell claims at inquiry

More bombshell allegations – including a claim that ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule received monthly payments of R1m from Rajesh Gupta – have been made at the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into state capture.

The allegation against Magashule was made by former Free State economic development MEC Mxolisi Dukwana, who himself later admitted that he had accepted R10‚000 from Rajesh Gupta in 2014‚ two years after he was axed from the provincial executive.

Dukwana said Rajesh Gupta had announced during a meeting at the controversial family’s Saxonwald mansion in 2012 that he was giving Magashule – then the Free State premier – R1m a month, and that Magashule had nodded in agreement.

No further details were provided.

BusinessLIVE quoted Dakota Legoete, the ANC’s acting spokesperson, as saying that Magashule, who oversees the day-to-day running of the ANC, needed to be given the opportunity to respond to Dukwana’s allegations.

He said the commission was likely to call on Magashule to do so.

Dukwana told the commission he was called to a meeting with Rajesh Gupta at the family’s Oakbay offices in Sandton in January 2014 and attended out of “curiosity”.

There‚ he was handed R10‚000 to compensate him for his travel expenses, which he accepted – he had driven from Welkom to Johannesburg and back to attend the meeting.

This despite Dukwana explaining that he believed he was fired by Magashule because the Gupta family had become frustrated with his unwillingness to do their bidding.

He claimed that Magashule took him to meet Gupta on two occasions‚ in 2008 and 2012‚ under false pretences.

At the latter meeting‚ Dukwana said, he was offered a R2m monthly kickback to push through a multibillion-rand construction contract in favour of a company linked to Iqbal Sharma‚ one of the Gupta family’s business associates.

He refused the deal and was axed soon afterwards.

Speaking about the 2014 meeting with Rajesh‚ Dukwana said he wanted to find out the reason for the meeting.

“I met him and in the meeting he just wanted to know how I was doing‚ what was happening in my life . . .

“In the midst of the discussion‚ he then indicated to me that he warned me about contesting Ace Magashule‚” Dukwana said. He said he was offered the cash and took it when the meeting concluded.

Dukwana will return to the commission once the Free State provincial government releases more information that he has requested to corroborate his evidence.

This includes his diary‚ copies of his e-mails and electronic documentation.

The commission will return on Monday when it will hear evidence of alleged state capture in law enforcement agencies.

Meanwhile, Magashule continues to feel the pinch in the wake of claims made about him in a damning book by author and journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh.

Myburgh spoke to TimesLIVE about the cost of the alleged state capture claims involving Magashule made in his book.

Magashule has said he will be taking the matter to court‚ a move welcomed by the author as he says the book is based on fact and credible evidence.

In an interview on eNCA on Thursday‚ Magashule said he was a credible leader.

“I was one of the most democratic leaders.

“This book is talking about my struggle credentials‚” he said.