Kamogelo Olaitan
Former SAA board chairperson Dudu Myeni has been fined R120,000 or two years’ imprisonment for disclosing the identity of a witness at the Zondo commission.
Myeni appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday where she pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice.
She revealed the identity of an anonymous witness known as Mr X during her testimony at the Zondi State Capture Commission in November 2020.
Her lawyers argued for a more lenient sentence by pointing out that she is a first-time offender who has not earned an income since 2017. They told the court she was declared a delinquent director for life and could not pursue any business.
The witness she named, Mr X, is the owner of a construction company which is said to have received three payments in excess of R3 million from a company owned by Myeni’s son, Thalente, as reported by News24.
Mr X said Myeni called him after those deposits were made and instructed him to withdraw the cash, give part of the money to her and pay the rest to the Jacob Zuma Foundation.
Half of Myeni’s sentence was suspended and her fine was also cut in half.
Soon after the court proceedings, she paid R30,000, with the balance due on 29 August.
Image source: @Polity
