ANC KwaZulu-Natal political heavyweight Michael Mabuyakhulu told the State Capture Commission that a R1-million donation he received was solely for party activities and not in exchange for provincial tenders, as alleged by forensic auditor Trevor White.
On Wednesday evening, newly stepped-down ANC KwaZulu-Natal deputy chairperson Michael Mabuyakhulu told the Zondo commission that he never benefited from the R1-million donated to the provincial ANC in 2008.
“That money went to the ANC, I did not benefit from it,” said Mabuyakhulu.
In keeping with the ANC’s step-aside guidelines, Mabuyakhulu stood down as the deputy chairperson the day before he appeared before the Zondo commission.
Trevor White, a forensic auditor who has previously appeared before the commission, said the R1-million donation had been paid to the ANC by a Uruguayan businessman through the former head of the KZN treasury, Sipho Shabalala, allegedly in exchange for a government tender.
On Wednesday, Mabuyakhulu told the commission that in June 2008, Shabalala arrived at the KZN ANC offices and gave him R1-million in cash for what Mabuyakhulu claims was for the upcoming provincial conference later that month.
Commission chairperson Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo asked Mabuyakhulu whether Shabalala had brought the money in a bag, and…