PAYMENT 'TO WOO ZULU KING FOR ANC'

S. Africa Press via email - no url | 10/15/4

[NativeNewYorker]

Schabir Shaik's Nkobi group paid almost a quarter of a million 

rand to woo Zulu King Goodwill Zwelethini from the Inkatha Freedom 

Party to the African National Congress, according to a document 

handed to the Durban High Court on Friday. 

   The document is the transcript of an interview Scorpions 

investigators conducted with Shaik's former business associate, 

Prof Themba Sono, in Pretoria in 2002. 

   Sono, who served as an Nkobi director in 1996 and is now a 

member of the Gauteng legislature, spent a day and a half in the 

court this week, testifying in Shaik's trial for corruption and 

fraud, charges which relate in large part to the use of Shaik's 

Nkobi company's funds. 

   When Sono was asked on Thursday by prosecutor Billy Downer about  

Nkobi payments to "people outside the group" he said he had 

knowledge of a case involving "the trip" of Zwelethini but was cut 

short when Shaik's advocate Francois van Zyl objected that the 

evidence was irrelevant. 

   According to the interview transcript, Sono told the Scorpions 

he had objected to the payment for a trip by Zwelethini to the 

United States "because you know he is a king, he is not part of a 

company. There is nothing, he brings nothing to the company". 

   Asked whether he was given any explanation, he said, according 

to the document handed up in court: "Yes, it was offered he says no  

well it is very important that we must woo King Swelatini [sic in 

the transcript] from the IFP to the ANC so that money will breed a 

lot of goodwill in the government." He said the amount was "about 

R200 000". 

   Asked why a donation by Nkobi would have that effect, he said: 

"Well you see the chief executive of Nkobi [Shaik] he was a very 

strong fund-raiser for ANC big wicks [wigs] in Kwazulu-Natal I mean  

he was always travelling to Malaysia to raise funds and so wooing 

King Swelatini would have a tremendous impact on the ANC big wicks 

in Kwazulu-Natal so they said at least he have removed Swelatini 

from the IFP and maybe we will reward him with contracts."  

   At the time, he said, KwaZulu-Natal was a tinder box because of 

the tensions between the IFP and the ANC. 

   He said winning over the king would have been an achievement 

which the ANC itself could not have carried out "because the ANC 

could not go and bribe King Swelatini. 

   "But if we as a company could be able to persuade King Swelatini  

to come to our side to come to the ANC side it would be beneficiary  

of course I mean this is just common sense for me". 

   ANC KwaZulu-Natal spokesman Mtholephi Mthimkhulu said on Friday 

he was not aware of the payment claimed by Sono. 

   "We have no policy of paying people in order to support the 

ANC," he said. 

   Also featuring in court this week was a fund named the 

Development Africa Trust, which according to Shaik was the intended  

recipient of R1-million from former president Nelson Mandela, money  

which was to be channelled through Deputy President Jacob Zuma's 

personal account. 

   In his written plea explanation, Shaik said he was initially 

told by ANC heavyweight Zweli Mkhize, a trustee, that the money was  

intended for "confidential ANC activities". 

   "I have since learned that the object of the Development Africa 

Trust was to rise funds for the care and welfare of tribal leaders 

and the Zulu royal family," he said. 

   In the interview transcript Sono also recalls an incident in 

which Shaik said he was going to complain to then Transport 

Minister Mac Maharaj when it emerged that a transport department 

official was not in favour of Nkobi getting a particular contract. 

   He said the official, whose name he could not remember but he 

thought was "the chief director" of the department was "very much" 

against Nkobi getting the contract. 

   "Afterwards Shabier was very angry he says no well you know he 

is going to go to Mac Maharage and complain about this guy that now  

why is he not playing ball and he said that no we will get that 

contract in any event because he is going to talk to Mr Maharage." 

He said he thought the contract was related to the N4 or the N3 

national road. 

   In his evidence to the High Court on Thursday, Sono said Shaik 

often used Maharaj's name, along with that of Deputy President 

Jacob Zuma, to impress business partners with his "political 

connectivity". 

   Maharaj left politics in mid-1999 and joined the board of First 

Rand Bank. 

   He quit the board in August last year after suggestions -- of 

which a bank-sponsored probe could find no evidence -- that during 

his time as minister he influenced the awarding of contracts to 

Shaik.  

   The transport department itself has come under fire after it 

emerged that a joint venture in which he is involved, Prodiba, last  

week won a second five year term as supplier of credit-card style 

driver's licences. 

   The renewal brings the total value to Prodiba of the deal to 

R1-million.