'I was consulting and was paid, this is a malicious campaign': Designer Thula Sindi on SIU investigation

Renowned fashion designer Thula Sindi says the allegation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) that he was involved in embezzling a poultry farm grant is slanderous as he provided a service and cannot “forensically audit sources of my customers or clients' income”.

This week, a report presented to parliament showed a paper trail that actress Moitheri “Terry” Pheto, star of Tsotsi, her sister Dimakatso, and her fashion designer friend Sindi were involved in the alleged misappropriation of a R5m grant intended for a poultry farm from the National Lotteries Commission (NLC).

His is one of the accounts that some of the monies were paid into. His company Black Planet Trading received R140k while Moitheri’s two companies and her personal bank account received R3.2m. The farm was allegedly sought for the benefit of her sister, Dimakatso.

Asked what his role was in the establishment of the farm, he said project methodology.

“Advice on what gets done first in what order and best practice for staffing, animal husbandry, and compliance like recommending service providers, etc, what should be done in-house and what should be outsourced.

“A sounding board for the project leads but with no view or control of the finances or budget in any way,” Sindi said.

He told TimesLIVE he was not part of the application for the grant on behalf of a company called Zibsibix.

“I am a project consultant and offered a project advisory service for 12 months charging the bare minimum to cover my travel to the site, printing, telephone and research costs, etc. My name has been used as part of a sensationalist, malicious, and harmful campaign which has rearranged the facts to cast aspersions on my name.

“I am a simple person, I am not a greedy person and I detest corruption, as it is well known of me. I have close to 20 years being an entrepreneur in the clothing manufacturing, retail and business consultancy space, I have always conducted myself and held myself to the highest possible standard.

“As with my fashion business I cannot forensically audit sources of my customers or clients' income. I just wish I had been given spared this slanderous media circus as I had been as co-operative as I possibly could be with the SIU given how they were treating me,” Sindi said.

He added that it was “such a cruel irony that my passion and diligence would land me in such a position”.

On November 23 last year, Sindi started receiving correspondence from the SIU expressing their intention to get his response regarding the allegations.

He has, however, alleged that the SIU investigators who pursued him through letters of demand treated him “with contempt and unprofessionalism”.

He alleged that when they contacted him, he was in Egypt on business and said he would speak to the investigating officer on his return.

“[On] November 16 2023, before 10am, our client received a telephone call from [an investigator] who introduced himself as ... Senior/supervisor. It was during this telephone call that [the investigator] proceeded to hurl insults at our client — screaming and berating our client, even instructing our client that he heard our client speaking on the radio earlier that day, and on that basis, proceeded to accuse our client of delaying the Investigation and refusing to co-operate.

“Of grave concern is our client’s strong impression that the SIU is monitoring his movements albeit there being no lawfully authorised surveillance of the person of our client. Our client takes great exception to such covert, clandestine, and prejudicial exercise of public authority,” read the papers.

Regarding the Zibsibix investigation, he demanded the SIU provide him with the terms of reference setting out the scope of the investigation, “how our client is implicated or is a person of interest, or is a suspect or witness, and the nature of the investigation and allegations against our client”.

“Written questions in respect of the allegations of offences and/or evidence in SIU Zibsibix NPC investigation that the SIU wishes our client to clarify or provide, or cogent and rational reasons why providing written questions is not an appropriate investigative option in the circumstances;” read the papers.

The SIU however, insisted he meet them in person for an interview.

In response, SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said it rejected the accusations Sindi made with contempt.

"We have got proof of what we were talking about. We are clear that the accusations (by Sindi) are unfounded.

"We wanted to give him the right to reply for two months and he was not making himself available. It’s not our fault. The investigation is still continuing. He chose to write a letter to us, we wanted him to come and answer," Kganyago said.

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