'Break the law or you're not a team player' - Phumeza Nhantsi's state capture testimony

Former SAA chair Dudu Myeni instilled  fear in the state-owned company's employees as she put them under pressure to approve deals they believed were unlawful.

This allegation, among others, was  made by suspended SAA finance boss Phumeza Nhantsi, who concluded her testimony before the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture on Wednesday.

Here are five points made by Nhantsi:

Pressure

Nhantsi alleged that during Myeni's tenure she was put under pressure to approve the transaction advisory services deal which would be awarded to BnP Capital, even if it meant bypassing its approval by all board members. "It was the pressure that says don't put things through the board, yet this is a board transaction. It was beyond my mandate and that of the acting CEO, because such decisions needed to be taken by the board."

Business unusual

Nhantsi also told the commission that she would receive up to three calls a day from Myeni, asking her why she was delaying the BnP deal and acting as if it was "business as usual". Myeni also allegedly told Nhantsi that she was not a "team player" when she insisted on doing things by the book. 

Scared for her life

"We were under a lot of pressure. There was a point where we were scared for our lives." Nhantsi said that although there were no direct death threats, the atmosphere was threatening. She told the commission that when she joined SAA, she believed the job was doable, but later regretted it. She recounted an instance in which she told her husband: "I don't know what I got myself into when I joined SAA." 

No one lasts at SAA

Former chairperson of the audit committee Yakhe Kwinana allegedly told Nhantsi that she had a "shelf life" in the company. Nhantsi told the commission that she remembered Kwinana's warning after the cancellation of the R256m transaction which had been awarded to BnP Capital. 

FSP licence suspension

Nhantsi read the letter sent to BnP Capital, requesting that the company confirm its licence as a financial services provider (FSP) was in good standing, as well as produce a copy of its status, as required by the law. Nhantsi said the company did not heed these requests. "I can confirm that we did not receive any information or any confirmation as we requested in the letter ... "