Former Public Investment Corporation CEO Dan Matjila has told the inquiry into the PIC that he does not see anything wrong or unethical in meeting a cabinet minister.
He was answering questions from the commission’s lawyer Jannie Lubbe on why he met with former state security minister, David Mahlobo at the airport after he requested a meeting.
He says meetings with ministers are useful for the PIC to understand what is a priority and where potential opportunities are. This is not the first time the former CEO has claimed to have been bullied into meeting ministers while he was at the helm of the PIC.
Last week Matjila claimed that politicians and politically connected people victimised him to get funding from the corporation. He explains:
“The minister called me and I went to see the minister. I mean ministers call me not only at the airport some at their places so I don’t think I see anything unethical about meeting a cabinet minister. Minister Mahlobo introduced me to people that needed help as we run the PIC process around that. Some ministers will call me to see how the PIC works and see how their department can assist in the delivery of PIC mandate or delivery of certain entities that are within those departments.”
Earlier Matjila broke his silence regarding the TOSACO Total SA BEE deal and Shikhara Health deal given to Laurence Mulaudzi, a business man from Kilimanjaro Capital.
Matjila says Mulaudzi continued to get funding from the corporation despite having a risk profile. He submitted proposals to get funding of R1.7 billion for the acquisition of shares from TOSACO as part of his Total SA BEE deal.
During the same period Mulaudzi submitted another proposal for funding of R600 million for Shikhara Health.
Matjila says he questioned the overlapping requests. He says they declined the Shikhara Health request because the proposal had many politically exposed persons.
“Some of the names in the political circles would be the late Ronnie Mamoepa, may his soul rest in peace. Dannie Msiza I think quite active in politics; we have also Titus Mafulu and those are the very well-known and Mr Sizwe Shezi as well amongst the politically exposed persons. The transaction team then requested them to clean up the structure and broaden the shareholder base.”
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