Former Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) Board Chairperson Popo Molefe says the owner of the Royal Security Services and politically-connected businessman Roy Moodley attempted to capture the state-owned enterprise on several occasions.
Molefe will on Friday conclude his testimony at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.
On Thursday, he said Moodley had offered to take him and his family to horse racing events like the Durban July, fully pay for international golfing events and on one occasion invited him to the State of the Nation Address in Parliament.
Moodley is believed to have secured more than R4 00 million worth of contracts with Prasa. His company provided security at different Prasa asset stations, while Strawberry WAX, which belonged to his son, was also awarded a contract to advertise everywhere where Prasa had a property.
Molefe says he learned that Moodley was very close to Prasa management and attempted to capture him several times when he was board chair of the agency. He says he declined most of the invites.
In the video below, Popo Molefe is testifying at State Capture Commission:
SOE executives cautioned
Molefe says he had cautioned some of the state-owned enterprise’s senior executives against Moodley.
He says he had advised Moodley to keep a distance from Prasa managers because the close relationship would be seen as if the agency was compromised.
Molefe says, “I don’t know if they complied with my request. It appeared he had been very close to the Group CEO as well. And later on I asked employees and one of them said look this is Mr Prasa, this gentleman here called Moodley he owns Prasa.”
In the video below, SABC Reporter Mbalenhle Mthethwa on Popo Molefe’s testimony:
#UniteBehind’s disappointment
The hashtag #UniteBehind has expressed disappointment at the fact that its members who will be flown in from Cape Town will not be allowed entry to the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture on Friday.
The organisation comprises of people’s movements and organisations that highlight some societal problems.
The leader and activist Zackie Achmat told the media in Johannesburg that he was sad that his support base would not be at the commission during his testimony about the wrongdoing at the passenger rail agency.
Achmat says, “I can’t give you an answer because we have not got a good answer from it. I am sad about it and we hope we are not going to fight with the commission about it because it is just critical. We will put some of the evidence in front of the commission. ”
Additional reporting by Abongile Dumako
