According to the Sunday Times yesterday, a company that obtained tenders worth millions of rands from state-owned enterprises to fund supplier development programmes, but diverted funds to ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte’s family members in return for their assistance to receive more state business.
Combined Private Investigations (CPI), which has spied on journalists and politicians, including Peter Bruce, Rob Rose and Trevor Manuel, has said that it paid more than R40m in two years to a group led by Gupta associate Salim Essa.
The group included Malcolm Mabaso (an adviser to former minister of mineral resources Mosebenzi Zwane), Duarte’s son Yusha and her ex-husband John Duarte.
The monies were not paid to them directly but to two Gupta-linked companies – Homix and Chivita – and two other companies, Forsure and Medjoul. CPI had contracts with Eskom and Transnet.
CPI agreed to use supplier development funds to pay a R1.4m monthly retainer to this group after Essa promised this would ensure the company won more contracts.
John and Yusha Duarte were Essa’s business associates. The Duartes, according to CPI, were closely connected to Mabaso.
CPI made payments via Homix totalling R15m to Chivita between 2013 and 2014 to the Duartes, Essa and Mabaso. Homix billed CPI for the “management of information and logistic support services” on a month-to-month basis.
For this Homix was paid R13m between June 2014 and May 2015. Forsure Consultants billed CPI for three months nearly R5m.
Forsure was replaced by Medjoul from August 2015 until June 2016. CPI paid R11m in that period. The beneficiaries remained the Duartes, Essa and Mabaso.
Jessie Duarte denied any knowledge of her family’s involvement in the scheme. John Duarte declined to comment. Yusha Duarte and Mabaso could not be reached for comment.