Zuma pocketed spy money, spent millions on positive media spin, Zondo hears

The chairperson of the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo returned to his post on Monday, 25 January, to hear damning allegations of how Jacob Zuma illegally benefitted from the country’s spy agency’s secret fund, and also used it to influence media houses to polish his image.

Zondo went into isolation two weeks ago on 15 January, after it became known that he had been in contact with a person who has tested positive for Covid-19.

On Monday he heard the evidence of former chairperson of the High-Level Review Panel into the State Security Agency (SSA) Dr. Sydney Mufamadi, who revealed that former president Jacob Zuma allegedly pocketed millions of Rands from the agency’s special operations unit between 2015 and 2017.

“With project commitment, we were told that the project involved providing then president Jacob Zuma with R2.5 million per month in the 2015/16 financial year. This amount was increased to R4.5 million per month in the 2016/17 financial year.

“The allegation there is that the money was provided via the then minister of state security David Mahlobo. The person who gave this information was saying they are certain the money was given to Mahlobo, but could not prove that Zuma received it,” Mufamadi said.

Dr. Mufamadi says Although acknowledgments of receipt of these funds were received from Minister Mahlobo, there is apparently no proof of the funds being received by President Zuma. #StateCaptureInquiry

— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) January 25, 2021

Mufamadi also told the commission that a special operation – dubbed Project Wave – was launched in effort to infiltrate and influence influence local and international media to allegedly counter bad publicity for the country, Zuma and the SSA.

He said the project was launched in the 2015/16 financial year with a budget of R24 million.

“One of the largest amounts issued for this project was one of R20 million given to a media agency for services rendered for eight months,” he said.

He says the project was launched in the 2015/16 financial year with a budget of R24m. He says one of the largest amounts issued for this project was one of R20 million given to a media agency, Apricot, apparently for "services rendered" for eight months. #StateCaptureInquiry

— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) January 25, 2021

Mufamadi further said another special operation dubbed ‘Project Justice’ had also been launched to bribe judges to counter any judgments against Zuma.

Dr. Mufamadi says the-Panel was told that this project was motivated by a perceived need to counter the influence of judges hostile to President Zuma. #StateCaptureInquiry

— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) January 25, 2021

He also revealed that the SSA had operations to impede the distribution of then deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa’s CR17 campaign as well as infiltrate “Zuma Must Fall” leadership.

Watch the testimony below, courtesy of SABC:

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