IT never rains, but it pours for the chairwoman of the Jacob Zuma Foundation, Dudu Myeni.
While she briefly appeared in the Joburg Magistrates Court on Tuesday, 29 March, Solidarity opened cases of corruption, theft, fraud and mismanagement of state funds against her in Pretoria.
Her case was postponed after the state asked for time to consider representations made by her lawyers.
Myeni is facing charges of contravening the Commission’s Act, contravention of the Commission’s Regulations, and defeating the ends of justice.
The charges come after she defied chairman of the Zondo Commission’s order not to reveal the name of a witness when she appeared last year.
Chief Justice Raymond Zondo had instructed that the name be withheld to protect the witness.
The witness had told the inquiry that he and Myeni had swindled and laundered millions from Mhlatuze Water when she was board chairwoman.
During her testimony, Myeni asked Zondo: “Sorry chairperson, who is Mr X?”
The chairman tried several times to stop her, but she continued to name the witness.
Zondo then decided to lay criminal charges against her.
“I have instructed the legal team to assist the secretary to prepare the documentation necessary so that the secretary of the commission can lay a criminal complaint against Ms Dudu Myeni,” said Zondo said at the time.
Myeni, who was also a board chairwoman for KZN-based Mhlathuze Water, was in May 2020 declared a delinquent director for life by Judge Ronel Tolmay of the High Court in Pretoria.
The matter was postponed to 4 May.
Solidarity chief executive, Dr Dirk Hermann, said they decided to file charges against Myeni after Zondo’s report revealed how state funds were used for personal gain.
Other people who will have charges laid against them include former president Jacob Zuma, former Transet and Eskom head Brian Molefe, former chairman of Denel, Daniel Mantsha, and the former chief executive of Denel, Zwelakhe Ntshepe.
“All the accused in the Solidarity docket had been involved, at least on a prima facie basis, in criminal activities,” said Hermann.