Mkhize lifts the lid on Sodi’s donations to the ANC, denies personal gain
Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize says he has never personally received money from businessman Edwin Sodi.
Sodi is being accused of fraud and corruption linked to a multimillion asbestos tender in the Free State.
The Minister’s statement comes in the wake of reports that a payment of R6,5million was made by Sodi using Mkhize;s name as a reference.
Mkhize said on Friday that outside of Sodi's donations to the ANC they had no personal or professional relationship.
ALSO READ: AFU seizes properties of asbestos fraud case suspects
"I wish to categorically state I have never received any funds from Mr Sodi, either personally or through a third party intended for my personal benefit,” said Mkhize.
"I can confirm that during my tenure as the ANC Treasurer General (TG), Mr Sodi, just like many other business persons, companies and organisations made donations to the African National Congress," he went on.
"When I took over as the TG, Mr Sodi’s contacts were available in the ANC Donors database as one of the people who had previously donated to the ANC," Mkhize wrote in a statement.
Mkhize proceeded to provide the details of Soid’s donation to the ANC, as confirmed by the party’s Finance office, as follows:
R 3 million - 28 Feb 2014
R 3.5 million - 03 April 2014
R 1.5 million - 29 Sept 2015
R 150 000 - 08 January 2016
“I once again state categorically that the above payments were deposited directly into ANC’s official bank accounts, I therefore can only assume that the name Zweli Mkhize was used by the donor as a reference, given my capacity at the time as the Treasurer General. Furthermore, I wish to emphasise that all the donations we received made voluntary, they were never transactional or linked to securing work from government,” said Mkhize.
He also noted the (DA's statement on reporting him to parliament, saying it would do the opposition party well to learn the rules of Parlaiment.
“I was the Treasurer General, with the specific role of raising funds for my Organisation. I was not a Member of Parliament and in any event did not benefit directly from these donations from Mr Sodi. Therefore there is no parliamentary requirement for me to declare all the donations that were received by the ANC during my tenure as TG,” stated Mkhize.
He added: “Where unlawfulness and wrong-doing has been found, the law enforcement agencies must investigate this. Matters relating to Mr Sodi and his companies are now before the courts. This legal process should therefore be allowed to run its course without being muddied by mischief and misinformation that drags individuals' names, where there is no evidence."