Zweli Mkhize denies R4.5-million kickback allegation

10 June 2018 - 12:08 By Timeslive
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Zweli Mkhize
Zweli Mkhize
Image: Simphiwe Nkwali/Sowetan

Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Zweli Mkhize on Sunday denied that he ever facilitated a loan from the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) for a fee. 

The Sunday Times reported that a letter of demand from a Johannesburg law firm exposed the alleged R4.5-million kickback for Mkhize and other ANC supporters for helping an oil company get a huge loan from the PIC.

The letter‚ dated October 2017‚ names Mkhize in a legal claim against Afric Oil‚ which describes itself as South Africa’s 'first BEE fuel distribution company"'

It claims that at a meeting at Luthuli House “sometime in early June 2016” a loan application to the PIC “was extensively discussed and the TG agreed to promote Afric Oil’s projects‚ including providing support for the facilitation of the PIC loan”.

It says a “fund-raising fee shall be shared among them”‚ with R4.5-million going to Mkhize. The loan was for R210-million.

The law firm claims to be acting for Zonkizizwe Investments, which it says is “wholly owned by the ANC”.

In a statement on Sunday‚ Mkhize called the allegations ridiculous and said: “I have never facilitated the said loan negotiations nor have I sought any ‘facilitation fee’ from the said company."

He added that he would be seeking legal advice.

In a second statement, Mkhize said that during his tenure as the ANC treasurer-general he met with various companies who would brief him on their operations, strategies or plans. "This is no way meant that my intervention was required. At no stage did I enter into an agreement to facilitate loans for a fee," he said,


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