I received EOH-linked money but there was nothing illegal, corrupt

JOHANNESBURG – State Security Deputy Minister Zizi Kodwa told Eyewitness News on Friday there was no corruption or anything illegal with the payments he received from IT company EOH’s director.

Law firm ENS Africa’s forensic director, Stephen Powell, told the State Capture Commission of Inquiry on Thursday that EOH director Jehan Mckay made payments to Kodwa, former President Jacob Zuma’s adviser Siyabulela Sintwa, and former ANC youth league leader Reggie Nkabinde.

Kodwa confirmed to Eyewitness News that he received the money. He said the funds did not come from the company but from a personal account of someone linked to EOH.

Powell revealed that Zodwa received more than R300,000, which Kodwa said went into his personal account.

“Using my personal banking account was deliberate because I wasn’t hiding or doing something wrong or illegal,” he said.

Powell said the payments happened between 2015 and 2017.

At the time, Kodwa was not in government but was the ANC’s national spokesperson.

EOH chief executive Stephen van Coller testified at the commission on Monday that he called in the forensics investigators from ENS when he was appointed because he realised the company was riddled with tender irregularities between it and departments including Defence and Water Affairs.

“I didn’t get the money from EOH, it’s from a personal account,” Kodwa told Eyewitness News.

“In the statement by Powell [at the commission], there is no merit of impropriety or corruption or involvement in a tender, except to mention payments,” he said.

Kodwa is yet to be appear before the commission of inquiry to give his side of the story.

It previously emerged that Kodwa was one of several ANC leaders who also received money from business tycoon Edwin Sodi.

Sodi is facing corruption charges for an asbestos tender awarded to his company by the Free State government.

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