The investigation into an alleged conflict of interest in a home loan to Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya’s wife from Imvume Investments is at an advanced stage, the Public Protector said on Tuesday.
Lawrence Mushwana said his office was still looking for certain documents to complete its investigation.
”It would be used to verify some information that we have already accumulated,” Mushwana said.
He would not elaborate on the nature of the documents but said they hoped to receive the documents soon.
In February, the Mail & Guardian reported that Sandi Majali of Imvume Investments’s R65 000 loan for the renovation of Skweyiya’s home was made only four weeks after a consortium, IT Lynx — of which he was a part — demanded that Skweyiya award it a stalled R400-million tender.
This evidence casts doubt on Majali’s earlier excuse that he had no motive to try to bribe Skweyiya, and Skweyiya’s excuse that he was in no position to advance Majali’s interests.
The M&G revealed last year — after initially being gagged by a court order — how Majali paid R65 000 to Hartkon, a construction firm, for renovations at the Waterkloof Ridge, Pretoria, home of Skweyiya and his wife, Thuthukile.
Skweyiya told the M&G at the time there was no conflict of interest and maintained that he was unaware of Majali’s interest in the social grant payment business until alerted to this by the newspaper in May last year. ”I conduct my work with integrity … I would not be unduly influenced by anyone,” he insisted, noting that the loan had been repaid.
Majali made the R65 000 payment from the account of Imvume Management, the oil-trading company he heads. This was on the same day, December 19 2003, that Imvume received a R15‑million advance from state oil company PetroSA. Majali’s diversion of much of this advance to the African National Congress is at the core of the Oilgate scandal.
The M&G also revealed that Majali had offered a job to Thuthukile SkweÂÂyiya, who was about to return from her posting as ambassador to France.
Mushwana said once the document they were looking for was obtained he would be able to determine if there was ”sufficient information” to report on the matter.
Meanwhile, Mushwana said an investigation into Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka’s trip to the United Arab Emirates had been completed.
Mushwana told reporters his office had obtained ”sufficient information and documentation” to wrap up the probe.
”We’ve started drafting of our report,” Mushwana said, adding: ”It was not an easy one.”
Mlambo-Ngcuka visited the UAE in December 2005 on holiday, using an SA Air Force plane. This led to complaints that she misused state resources for her personal use.
President Thabo Mbeki came to the defence of his deputy earlier in the year, saying the use of the air force plane was correct in terms of security arrangements.
Mushwana said he would hand the completed report to Mbeki, who would pass it on to Parliament before the document was made public. – Sapa