Mogul gave Zuma and daughter R1.6m

President Jacob Zuma and his daughter Duduzile received payments amounting to R1.6-million from a politically connected Zambian businessman who is based in South Africa.

James Ndambo, owner of Africa Union Financial Services, (AUFS) made the payments between 2009 and 2011 into accounts linked to Zuma and Duduzile.

An AUFS bank statement shows a R300,000 payment on March 29 2011 with a reference "Jacob Zuma Fo", while Duduzile received more than R1.3-million in payments ranging from R20,000 to R689,125 between 2009 and 2011.

President Zuma's spokesperson Bongani Ngqulunga said the president has no knowledge of the payments.

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Ngqulunga said: "Mr Ndambo has never deposited money into President Zuma's personal account. The president has no personal relationship with him at all. He doesn't even know this person or that money."

He also said he would enquire with the Jacob G Zuma Foundation. It is not known if any further deposits were made after 2011.

Former public protector Thuli Madonsela sent a letter to Zuma as part of her state capture investigation asking why the president has not declared receiving any financial benefit outside of government since taking up office in 2009.

It is not clear if the payments were made into Zuma's personal account or that of his education foundation.

It is also not clear what the relationship between Ndambo and the Zumas is, but Duduzile visited Ndambo's offices in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2009, and he attended her lavish wedding in the Eastern Cape in 2011.

Details of the payments came to light during a liquidation process by AUFS's creditors, which included the company's former director, Chris Makhele, Absa and others in May 2014.

One application was brought by Absa, which wanted to recoup R18-million that it had loaned Ndambo.

Duduzile requested written questions , but did not respond or answer repeated calls.

Contacted through his lawyer, Shaheed Dollie, Ndambo initially told the Sunday Times that the payments were donations to the foundation.

"No payments were made to the president or his daughter in their personal capacities. The donations were made to the foundation and the reference was Duduzile Zuma because she was the contact person for the foundation," said Dollie.

But when it was pointed out that there was one payment to a reference "Jacob Zuma Fo" and that the balance of the R1.6-million was referenced Duduzile, Ndambo changed his tune and said he was not aware of payments to Duduzile.

"Mr Ndambo is unaware of these payments having been made to her in her personal capacity and did not authorise them," said Dollie.

He also said he had no personal relationship with either the president or his daughter.

"Mr Ndambo has never met the president and has no personal relationship with him.

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"Mr Ndambo once met the president's daughter at the foundation where he was invited by a colleague from Angola," said Dollie.

When he was asked about attending Duduzile's wedding in 2011, Ndambo said he had been invited but didn't personally meet Zuma and Duduzile.

Ndambo admitted that Duduzile had visited his company offices in the DRC in 2009, but said they never met and that she had been there on behalf of the foundation.

There is no indication of any of Zuma's children being involved with the foundation, which is led by SAA chairwoman Dudu Myeni. Myeni said yesterday that she would only respond to questions tomorrow.

Dollie also stated that AUFS had never conducted business in the country and that it would not benefit by giving money to Zuma and Duduzile.

Ndambo's company is involved in a multibillion-rand IT contract in the DRC.

Lawson Naidoo, executive secretary of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution, said Zuma would have to justify why that money was paid to him.

"If he is unable to do that, it will create a perception that it was to assist a business.

"It puts him in a potential conflict of interest situation," he said. Naidoo said that if Zuma could not avoid it, he should be able to justify it.

If Zuma had not declared the deposit, it would be a violation of the Executive Ethics Code.

sub_head_start Payments to Duduzile Zuma sub_head_end

September 10 2009 — R20,000

December 22 2009 — R210,000

February 11 2010 — R689,125

March 31 2010 — R20,000

September 29 2010 — R100,000

October 29 2010 — R30,000

November 30 2010 — R70,000

March 25 2011 — R100,000

November 30 2011 — R100,000

Payment to Jacob Zuma: March 29 2011 — R300,000

jikat@sundaytimes.co.za, hunterq@sundaytimes.co.za