Question NW2172 to the Minister of Employment and Labour
16 October 2020 - NW2172
Zungula, Mr V to ask the Minister of Employment and Labour
Whether, based on Mr. Edwin Sodi’s recent testimony at the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of State, which implicated him as a beneficiary of Mr. Sodi’s company, he declared the funds he had received from the specified company in accordance with the requirements of the Executive Members’ Ethics Act, Act 82 of 1998, to the Registrar of Members’ Interests in Parliament; if not, what (a) total number of contracts have been awarded to Mr. Sodi’s company under his leadership in his (i) previous and (ii) current Ministerial portfolios and (b) is the monetary value of each specified contract so awarded?
Reply:
Minister Nxesi never received any money from Mr Sodi or his company. As Mr Sodi clarified at the Zondo Commission that the amount of R15 000 was paid directly to the learners’ school account and R30 000 paid directly for accommodation of other two learners to allow them to continue with their schooling.
Therefore, since the payments were not directly made to the Minister, there was no obligation to declare such in terms of the Executive Members’ Ethics Act 82 of 1998. Minister Nxesi is not related in any manner to the learners.
To the Minister’s knowledge, Mr Sodi or his company did not get any gratification for this kind gesture in a form of contracts from Departments under his leadership.