State capture: Nomvula Mokonyane’s Aston Martin raises questions
Did Bosasa give Nomvula Mokonyane something more than a few beef braai packs? Her Aston Martin was a focal point at the State Capture Inquiry on Monday.
Ex-Minister Nomvula Mokonyane, who is believed to have been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Bosasa bribery scandal, had her relationship with the company questioned once more on Monday. The presence of an Aston Martin in her garage – spotted by Charl le Roux – has set tongues wagging.
Commission resumes, currently on the stand is Mr Charl Le Roux, who is a private contractor, he will be sharing his Bosasa related testimony before the commission.
— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) July 6, 2020
@StateCaptureInquiry
Nomvula Mokonyane’s Aston Martin – a Bosasa-funded motor?
Mokonyane is accused of receiving everything from a monthly payment of R50 000, to a consignment of beef braai packs, all in exchange for treating the security firm favourably when it came to securing government contracts. An Aston Martin in the garage – even on a minister’s salary, where a free top-of-range motor is provided as one of the job perks – is only going to raise suspicions once it’s spotted.
Le Roux said he clocked the vehicle while carrying out a number of services at the property. They included:
- Replacing a distribution board for the swimming pool.
- Repairs to the electric fence.
- A call out to repair the air-conditioning system.
- Repair to the backup power generator system.
- Completing menial tasks like fixing lights and tending to a broken water feature were also listed.
State Capture Inquiry: Who is Charl le Roux?
Monday’s testimony was brief, and we will only return to the Zondo Commission on Thursday morning. However, the luxuries at Nomvula Mokonyane’s home left Le Roux with more questions than answers, and he noticed that the opulent item in question was kept under close watch.
“When I worked there, I noticed there was an expensive car there. An Aston Martin. The car was in the middle garage. It was covered with a special car cover. There was also a guard house to the left of the gate.”
Charl le Roux