By NATION REPORTER
SYLVIA Masebo met with TFM Holdings (Pty) Ltd Executive Director Mcebisi Mlonzi at her residence in November last year contrary to her claims that she did not know the South African business mogul, David Diangamo has disclosed.
Mr Diangamo, the former Deputy Secretary to Cabinet (Fiance) has revealed that he had personally delivered Mr Mlonzi, the South African business mogul to Ms Masebo’s residence after picking him from Pamodzi Hotel.
And Mr Diangamo has said he is shocked that Ms Masebo has suddenly disowned the US$100 million TFM Holdings contract for the construction of prefabricated hospitals when in fact she was fully appraised and approved the deal as prudently reasonable and competitive.
In an exclusive interview, Mr Diangamo has revealed that he had personally driven Mr Mlonzi in his car to Ms Masebo’s residence for a meeting which was also attended by the Health Minister’s agent in the name of Mbachi Nkhwazi, a local business executive.
Ms Masebo has denied ever knowing or meeting Mr Mlonzi and that she was not aware of the US$100 million TFM Holdings contract which saw President Hakainde Hichilema dismiss Dr George Magwende, as Permanent Secretary of Health for administration.
The Health Minister has been accused of soliciting for a bribe in the form of facilitation fees in form of cash money and luxury motor vehicles, the allegations Ms Masebo has not explicitly denied.
TFM was established in 1966. Today, it is comprised of 11 different companies around South Africa with a national footprint providing sales, service, parts and manufacturing capabilities.
The Group companies specialise in the importation, manufacturing, supply and support of specialist truck bodies, primarily for the transport, construction, forestry, cargo body, waste and environmental transport industries.
“I initially went to Ms Masebo with Lands Minister Elijah Muchima who knew her residence. I briefed her about the project and I also proposed that she should meet the Chairman (Mr Mlonzi). She agreed and I went to Mr Mlonzi who was at Pamodzi Hotel.
“I drove Mr Mlonzi in my vehicle to Ms Masebo’s residence and we found Mbachi Nkhwazi with the minister. The meeting between Ms Masebo and Mr Mlonzi was clean and purely business and there was nothing like corruption.
“But while the negotiations were still going on, I was briefed that Ms Masebo was demanding for gratification before the contract could be concluded. The solicitation of bribe by Ms Masebo has nothing to do with me,” Mr Diangamo narrated.
Mr Diangamo explained that Ms Masebo was impressed with the project and that she was happy with the rate because TFM had presented the best rate for the contract at the time.
He stated that Ms Masebo had given the political will on the part of the new dawn administration to adopt and continue with the project after the change of government and that claims that the contract was terminated were not true because the government had only written a letter of intent to terminate the project and that there has never been correspondence since.
Mr Diangamo disclosed that TFM had objected to the termination of the contract because the reasons forwarded by the Ministry of Health for the cancellation of the project were not valid.
Mr Diangamo said Ms Masebo was so impressed with the project that she undertook a trip to South African to meet with Mr Mlonzi and that the TFM chairman hosted where she had pledged that the contract was going to succeed.
“What is bad is that there are attempts to terminate the project just because someone did not get gratification because the reasons to justify the cancelation of the contract were not valid. And government is going to lose a lot of money if the contract is going to be cancelled.
“Since the government wrote indicating its intention to cancel the contract, there has been no correspondence but the costs for the contractor have continued to rise.
“TFM has written to the government to state its position on the status of the contract but there has been no response,” Mr Diangamo said.
He stated that there was nothing wrong with the contract as it was transparently negotiated and that if there were any claims of bribes, Ms Masebo should be the one to account because as a consultant for TFM, the contract was devoid of any form of corruption.
Meanwhile, Mr Daingamo has rubbished assertions that he is corrupt and that he is still facing some corruption charges, stating that he had never been prosecuted for any corruption offence in his civil service career.
Mr Diangamo said he had never involved himself in corruption in his entire career and that as a senior civil servant at the time, he had discharged his duties with due diligence and that was after he was unfairly dismissed, the state had to compensate him.
“When Levy Mwanawasa fired, me, I was investigated and cleared. I sued the state for wrongful dismissal and I was compensated. So those accusing me of corruption should find something else to talk about me.
“Yes, I am the official consultant for TFM but there has never been corruption against the company or its director. What is surprising is that Ms Masebo has disowned the project she very well knows Mr Mlonzi,” Mr Diangamo said.
