Former SAA board member Yakhe Kwinana's evidence described as 'dishonest' at Zondo commission
The state capture commission's evidence leader, Advocate Kate Hofmeyr, has described the testimony of former South African Airways (SAA) board member Yakhe Kwinana as dishonest.
Kwinana appeared before the commission on Tuesday.
She denied interfering with tender processes and being bribed by bidders.
In 2019, former acting SAA procurement officer Masimba Dahwa told the commission that Kwinana was instrumental in assisting the former board chairperson Dudu Myeni in bullying executives who did not want to implement unlawful policies.
One of the policies was a 30% share of each contract by a Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) certified company to be determined by the airline.
Dahwa said Treasury made it clear that the policy was unlawful. However at a meeting between himself, Myeni and Kwinana, he was threatened for not implementing the policy.
Kwinana has denied that the meeting took place and claimed she did not know Dahwa was opposed to the policy until he appeared before the commission.
Advocate Kate Hofmeyr showed her an email she wrote to Myeni demanding she charge Dahwa with insubordination and failure to implement an unlawful instruction.
Kwinana insisted that this had nothing to do with the 30% BBEE policy.
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She also denied trying to solicit an R100 million kick from an American aviation company AAR by doing them a favour.
Kwinana traveled to Chicago in the US, where she was transported in a private jet, limousines, and taken to expensive restaurants at AAR's expense.
This is at the same time when the company was bidding for a tender with SAA alongside another company JM Aviation, owned by Vuyo Ndzeku who Kwinana was also in communication with.
Hofmeyer asked Kwinana how it was possible that she was in communication with the bidders who ended up being awarded the contract.
She said she was not aware there was a bidding process and did not discuss it with the two companies and their directors.
The commission is in possession of cell phone records that show Kwinana had an hour-long phone call with Ndzeku the night before the contract was awarded.
Hofmeyr said management wanted to award the contract valued at R1.2 billion to Air France, but the board, led by Dudu Myeni, insisted on the contracted being awarded to AAR and JM Aviation.