Montana says Mkhize met Angolan businesswoman for ANC fundraising

Former Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) CEO Lucky Montana maintains that Angolan businesswoman Maria Gomes and her husband were involved in fundraising for the ANC.

Montana said former ANC treasurer-general Dr Zweli Mkhize had visited the Gomes’s home in Atholl, Johannesburg, a number of times and he was present on some of these occasions when Mkhize came looking for money he said was for the party's 2014 election campaign.

Montana issued a statement on Wednesday clarifying that he has never attacked Mkhize, after his allegations, he said, had allegedly been leaked, having been submitted as part of a statement to the Zondo commission.

He said a statement from Mkhize issued on Tuesday claimed to be a “response to Lucky Montana's various media interviews” in relation to alleged donations to the ANC during Mkhize's tenure as ANC treasurer-general.

In his response, Mkhize said he and the ANC had previously issued statements denying the allegations that it had appointed individuals to receive funds on behalf of the ANC, flowing from the Prasa Swifambo tender.

Montana said Mkhize's statement was misdirected.

“He should direct his anger at the chairperson of the commission [of inquiry into state capture, deputy chief justice Raymond] Zondo and not me,” he said.

Montana said he had submitted a comprehensive statement to Zondo on October 25 in preparation for his testimony on a date still to be determined.

“However, it became clear that certain members of the media were given access to the  statement before implicated persons could be notified. I brought this to the attention of the commission and clearly stated that the conduct of the Zondo commission in leaking my statement is 'unethical and unlawful'.”

Montana indicated he felt the response by Mkhize was disingenuous. He said he never claimed Mkhize or the ANC “had appointed individuals to receive and channel monies on behalf of the ANC, flowing from the Prasa Swifambo tender”.

Montana said he was on record as having stated that there was no corruption or any form of tender fraud in Prasa’s award to Swifambo Rail Leasing. He said neither the ANC nor Gomes — who secured a R40m slice of the R3.5bn Swifambo contract — had any role in the process.

“Dr Zweli Mkhize deliberately avoids addressing the real issue, which is that Maria and [her husband] Carlos Gomes were involved in fundraising for the ANC and that he, in his capacity as ANC treasurer-general, had visited the Gomes’s home in Johannesburg several times.

“I was present on some of these occasions when he came looking for money, claiming this was for the ANC’s 2014 elections campaign.”

Montana said it was up to Mkhize to clarify why he would demand money and provide an account to Maria Gomes if the ANC “did not appoint individuals to receive and channel money on behalf of the ANC”.

“I look forward to proper responses by Dr Zweli Mkhize to these questions at the Zondo commission.”

TimesLIVE