I’m not pimply, I was just helping out my ANC pals in a squeeze, says Sodi

The years 2014 and 2015 were flowing with milk and honey for a firm called Blackhead Consulting, which boasted a more than R1bn annual turnover, mostly thanks to the departments of human settlements in the Free State and Gauteng.

This is how Blackhead director Edwin Sodi became a “blesser” to many within the ruling ANC from 2014 until at least last year.

But he insisted before deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo at the state capture inquiry on Tuesday that he was generous towards the ANC because he grew up with the party and most of the payments were loans to friends. Sometimes he helped underprivileged children.

Testifying before the commission, Sodi did not deny the payments to ANC bigwigs. These included the party’s treasurer-general, Paul Mashatile, and national executive committee (NEC) members and ministers Zweli Mkhize and Thulas Nxesi, deputy minister Pinky Kekana and Zizi Kodwa.

But according to him, none of the payments were in return for lucrative tenders in the ANC-run government.

With his company’s main source of income coming from the department of human settlements, Sodi also happened to be “friends” with many high-ranking officials in the department — nationally and in the two provinces. These officials also received individual payments to the tune of millions of rand.

The inquiry heard how Sodi made payments, identified as “red flags”, amounting to R34m to ANC politicians and government officials starting in 2014.

He previously testified that he paid former human settlements director-general Thabane Zulu R600,000 because he borrowed alcohol from his Pietermaritzburg-based TZ Lounge.

On Tuesday, Sodi said he paid R7,5m to Bongani More, a former deputy director-general in the Gauteng human settlements department.

“He is a business associate of mine, he was DDG at some stage, but according to my recollection he resigned sometime around 2014,” said Sodi.

“When he left government, we agreed to get into business together. Our first opportunity was an investment in a hotel development in Cape Town, where we acquired 20% through an entity where we had other partners.” 

Another payment red-flagged by the commission’s investigator was R6,5m to Collen Pitso, former chief of staff to ex-minister Nomvula Mokonyane.

Sodi said the payment was meant for Pitso’s father, who was his business partner.

“The payment was not to him. I used his name as a reference, but the payment was to Kepi Construction, which is an entity owned by his father that I did business with,” he said.

Another payment of R1m was made to a JW Mokoena.

But Sodi said he “cannot remember” why he made this payment to “my friend”.

Linda Ngcobo, a former government housing official in Gauteng, also received R2m from Blackhead Consulting.

“This payment was made as a loan to Linda. After she left government she was struggling,” said Sodi.

He defended payments to ANC leaders such as Mkhize, Mashatile, Kekana, Kodwa and Nxesi.

Mkhize was paid R6,5m, while Mashatile received R371,000. Kekana got R171,000. Mkhize and Mshatile had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publishing.

This while Kodwa benefited from R175,000, with Nxesi walking away with R45,000.

Because I grew up in the ANC, the fact that there would have been some donations either from myself or my company, I do not see that as strange, fraudulent or as corrupt, unless someone convinces me otherwise.

—  Blackhead Consulting director Edwin Sodi

The ANC received payments to the tune of R3,5m for the purchase of T-shirts for volunteers during election campaigns.

“There were two payments, one of R15,000 paid directly to a school of an underprivileged child, which I paid at his request, and the second was R30,000 for accommodation, also for an underprivileged child,” was Sodi’s explanation for his payments to Nxesi.

Turning to Mashatile, Sodi said “that was payment made directly to the ANC”. Payments to Kodwa were “loans to a friend”.

He said he was a generous donor to the ANC because it was the only political organisation he grew up supporting. This despite his concession that he never became an ANC card-carrying member.

“Because I grew up in the ANC, the fact that there would have been some donations either from myself or my company, I do not see that as strange, fraudulent or as corrupt, unless someone convinces me otherwise,” said Sodi. “I do not think there is any crime in one supporting a political party of his choice.”

None of the implicated parties were available for comment and did not respond to texted messages at the time of writing.

But deputy minister Kekana picked up her phone and angrily said: “I do not take calls from journalists,” before hanging up.

PODCAST | Zondo Commission begins to bare fruit as asbestos audit arrests wow SA

Subscribe: iono.fm | Spotify | Apple Podcast | Pocket Casts | Player.fm