R50,000 a night luxury for ANC’s Zizi Kodwa – and EOH paid
Evidence presented at the Zondo Commission alleges that State Security deputy minister and former ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa benefitted from suspicious EOH payments.
Kodwa is currently the deputy minister of State Security, and served as ANC spokesperson at the time of the payments.
Steven Powell, MD of ENSafrica’s forensics department, told the commission Kodwa received over R2 million in payments and luxury accommodation from EOH.
This formed part of millions paid to the ANC and connected individuals in the party to benefit from government tenders.
Powell revealed that Kodwa received numerous payments from former EOH Mthombo executive director Jehan Mackay.
Many of these payments occurred between May 2015 and February 2016 when EOH was bidding on government tenders.
During this period Mackay and Kodwa regularly exchanged emails regarding ANC donations, Powell said.
One of these payments – R45,000 on 13 July 2015 – happened a day before Mackay asked Kodwa to intervene in a Home Affairs tender from which EOH was disqualified.
Powell said the Home Affairs tender was particularly lucrative, and the payment and communication with Kodwa looked like a plea from Mackay.
The image below provides an overview of some of the payments which were made to Kodwa in 2015 and 2016.
Payments to Zizi Kodwa
Apart from direct deposits made to Kodwa, EOH also paid for exclusive accommodation in Cape Town.
What stood out about the accommodation was the extremely high cost of the apartments where Kodwa stayed.
All these apartments were based in exclusive areas, like Fresnaye, Camps Bay, and Clifton, on Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard.
The apartments where Kodwa stayed, and the prices paid by EOH for this accommodation, are listed below.
- R150,000 for a 3-day stay at 53 Ave Fresnaye in Cape Town.
- R100,000 for a 2-day stay at The Pentagon Villa in Clifton.
- R230,000 for a 2-week stay at the Barbados Rental Villas in Cape Town.
Powell told the Zondo Commission that Kodwa particularly liked The Pentagon Villa in Clifton and returned for a 3-day stay which cost R150,000.
During his stay, he also requested the services of a private chef, which cost R11,700.
Kodwa sent the ANC’s integrity commission a letter shortly before Powell’s testimony, saying the allegations are nothing new.
“I have previously presented myself before the integrity commission, and presented the facts on these matters,” he said.
“The additional information is well covered in my previous submission and in my understanding does not fall outside the version of events already presented to the integrity commission.”
Kodwa added that no allegations of impropriety have been made against him, nor has he been criminally charged of any wrongdoing.
The Pentagon Villa in Clifton
To understand the high price of the accommodation, it is instructional to look at the three venues mentioned in Powell’s testimony.
The Pentagon Villa in Clifton is ultra-luxurious accommodation described as “the most luxurious rental villa on offer in South Africa”.
It was designed by world-renowned architecture firm SAOTA and features five en-suite bedrooms, a gym and cinema room, and an open-plan entertainment area.
The main living area is open-plan and offers views of the Atlantic Ocean and the mountain from the back.
Barbados Rental Villas in Camps Bay
Barbados Rental Villas in Camps Bay offer 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms in a house which flows out onto a spacious pool deck with mountain views and partial sea views.
The lounge features vast retractable glass sliding doors that invite the view in, creating free-flowing living spaces.
The master bedroom, with a King size bed, enjoys an en-suite bathroom featuring a shower and bath.
The house has an access-controlled garage and there is a dedicated housekeeper to serve the guests.
53 Ave Fresnaye in Cape Town
There is no detailed information available about 53 Ave Fresnaye, but limited online resources suggest it is an ultra-modern house on the Atlantic Seaboard.
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