KwaZulu-Natal’s provincincial minister for economic development, Mike Mabuyakhulu and the province’s legislature speaker, Peggy Nkonyeni were granted R100 000 bail each by the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Their co-accused, former provincial health department head Ronald Green-Thompson, was released on R40 000 bail.
The state did not oppose bail, conceding that the accused were not flight risks. They were told the case against them would be proceed in the hight court on January 20 next year.
The trio face fraud and corruption charges relating to a R1-million “donation” paid by South American businessman Gaston Savoi to the ANC in 2007, allegedly in exchange for a R45-million government tender.
Standard procedures were allegedly bypassed to award a tender to Savoi’s company Intaka, to supply water purification plants to hospitals and clinics in KwaZulu-Natal at inflated prices.
Mabuyakhulu was the ANC’s provincial treasurer and Nkonyeni health minister when the deal was concluded. Mabuyakhulu is now a member of the ANC provincial executive and Nkonyeni the ANC’s provincial treasurer.
Senior ANC leaders who accompanied the two included provincial deputy chairperson Willies Mchunu, ANC provincial secretary Sihle Zikalala, ANC provincial deputy secretary Nomusa Dube and several provincial executive committee members. — Sapa