'Magashule took me to Saxonwold to advance Gupta interests'
Former Free State economic development MEC Mxolisi Dukwana has told the commission of inquiry into state capture that Tony Gupta offered him R2 million for an information andcommunications technology project.
Dukwana appeared before the commission on Friday after his testimony was postponed due to the Free State government is withholding crucial information.
He told the commission that Magahule, who is the ANC secretary-general and the former premier of the Free State, introduced him to the Guptas.
Dukwana said before he was offered the R2 million in 2008, when Magashule was the MEC for sports, he asked him on one occasion to accompany him to Guptap-owned SaharaComputers.
"Gupta then asked Mr. Magashule if he brought that and extended his hand, at that time Ace handed him a copy of his ID and Gupta said he would go and make a copy. I don't think Ace thought this would be requested in my presence as I could see the shock on his face. It was at that time that he said to me he would get into business with Sahara computers.”
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According to Dukwana, Magashule told him his political involvements would ensure his son Tshepiso is the one who goes into business with the Guptas.
In 2011, he claimed Magashule invited him to a fundraising event in Johannesburg, but he ended up at the Gupta home in Saxonwold where he met Guptas again.
Dukwana said his phone was taken and he was escorted to a room with newspapers. This is when Gupta and Magashule disappeared and returned a few minutes later with others,including Duduzane Zuma.
At this point, he said Magashule was not making eye contact with him and he wanted to ask him what was going on when Gupta started the meeting.
He said he was given a letter by Gupta with an official letterhead and surname, which was purported to be written by him, yet he was seeing it for the first time.
Dukwana told the commission the letter was an appointment of a company related to the Guptas to take over an ICT project which the Free State government was working on.
"Gupta said he is trustworthy and I can trust him, he said: ‘Ask brother Ace and brother Duduzane, we get R3 million every month. I drive after every month to Magashule's place and I give him his million and I give Duduzane his million and I get my million.’ He then said: ’Isn't it so?’. And strangely enough Ace said yes and Duduzane agreed.”
Dukwana said the R3 million Gupta said they benefit from was from a project at the abandoned Jagersfontein Mine in the Free State.
They were then apparently offered him R2 million upon signing the letter and shown a bag which had the money inside.
According to Dukwana, Gupta promised him R2 million every month for the duration of the project but he refused to sign the letter.
He said he was startled that Magashule would take him to Johannesburg under false pretenses, only to advance the interests of the Guptas.