Businesswoman Busi Gumede, EDTEA MEC Siboniso Duma and KZN Growth Fund’s Khaya Thango who was caught on tape in an alleged attempt to solicit a bribe.
Durban — In what appears to be an alleged failed attempt to solicit a bribe from Goodlife dairy products company director Busi Gumede, recordings caught on tape show how a KwaZulu-Natal Growth Fund Trust board member asked for a private meeting with the businesswoman while approval of her application for funding was pending.
The Daily News has exclusively obtained recordings where KZN Growth Fund Board member Khaya Thango called Gumede and started discussing problems faced by her company and ended up asking to meet her privately because he did not want to “talk” over the phone.
Gumede did not honour the meeting request and said this was the main reason why the Trust was withholding her funding, adding that she was convinced Thango wanted to solicit a bribe.
The paper has decided to release the transcripts so that the public could make its own judgement.
Khaya Thango (KT): Hello Mkhaya (homie).
Busi Gumede (BG): Hi I’m OK Mkhaya.
KT: You are running away from me. You are behaving as if I must kneel to speak to you or I must call the president and ask him to make an appointment for me.
BG: Not really, we get consumed by time and I lost your contact.
KT: My love I sent you WhatsApp messages and you do not respond but I’m looking after you, I’m sorting your things and making them right but you are “walking far” from me… I must submit the report to say you are behaving as if you don’t know us and know who we are. I will say you are now right.
BG: Why didn’t you call me?
KT: I wanted to wait and you know I am a strategic person. So I was waiting and wondering why you are so quiet and you know where I am and you know what you have applied for and I see complaining, the staff is panicking and the CEO too is complaining.
BG: I didn’t know you were involved.
KT: You applied for funding and you do know who the directors are?
BG: You know me, I’m a business person and I just applied but Mkhaya why you waited so long (to) call me?
KT: I saw everything that was stressing you but I said let me wait for you to come to me because I know you from the K section in KwaMashu.
BG: I was nearly killed by stress … you were supposed to help...
KT: We are sorting out the problem … anyway I do not talk over the phone but was checking why you were not responding to my messages.
BG: I lost your contact…
KT: I thought you were ignoring me because I’m not in your league since I’m just a poor comrade with no money.
BG: I have been trying to get funding for three years.
KT: I know this project is very good. The problem is that you did not sensitise us before you submitted your application…
BG: You were aware of my frustration and you were supposed to help me... I had to write to the office of the MEC for intervention.
KT: I kept quiet but we know we will deliver at the end. Fortunately me and Mama have a good relationship. She asked me whether I know about this project and told her yes I have seen it and we will look at it.
The conversation ended not revealing who “Mama” was. The discussion took place in October in 2020 and ended up with the two agreeing to meet at the end of the month – which according to Gumede never happened.
She said the follow-up call from Thango was when Gumede was signing for the first batch of payment at the Trust offices in Durban in November the same year.
She said Thango appeared to be aware where the process was and he knew she was signing for payment that day because he had called Xolani Nhlapho, one of the executives at the Growth Fund who was processing payment.
She said that Nhlapho went out with his cellphone but when he came back he handed the phone to her and said his boss wanted to speak to her.
Gumede said it was Thango again asking for a meeting. Again the meeting never materialised as Gumede was reluctant to meet him with no clear agenda as to what it was about.
In his response, Thango said the process was subjected to forensic investigation. However, the Daily News could not recover evidence pointing to a forensic investigation.
Thango added: “If you have recordings you must tell me where bribery or fraudulent acts are on what you listen to... She was told to open a criminal case if she suspected any criminality,” said Thango.
However, political-economy analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said what transpired could have been a breach in corporate governance as board members sign a confidentiality clause. He said board members were not meant to discuss board activities with outsiders in a corporate organisation. He suggested that in this case the board member may have acted unethically.
When asked for comment, the Economic Development Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC Siboniso Duma said there were internal processes under way on the matter.
“We kindly request you bear with us. We are however treating this matter with utmost care and urgency,” said the MEC.
Daily News