By Patson Chilemba
TFM Holdings executive chairman Mcebisi Mlonzi says he is not surprised that Health minister Sylvia Masebo has failed to sue him 11-months after she threatened to do so over allegations that she requested him to pay R2 million and a Mercedes Benz for the purported sponsorship of Masebo’s son’s wedding.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Mlonzi also said neither he nor his representatives in Zambia have received any call from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) “for having voluntarily reported to the commission requests made to them on the R2 million and the Benz.”
He said he was not surprised Masebo has not taken the matter to court, arguing that what he alleged was true.
“I am not surprised because she knows the truth,” Mlonzi laughed. “She knows the truth, yah!”
Mlonzi said he did not understand why Masebo threatened legal action against him, adding, “maybe she was just confusing the public” to absolve herself with them.
“She cancelled the contract as you know we are following the arbitration process,” he said.
On the report he said he made to ACC through his representative Belemu, Mlonzi said: “Never! They never did it (ACC has never called them since they made the complaint).”
Asked if he was ready to produce the same report he made to the commission, Mlonzi said the complaint was filed by his representative Belemu.
But Masebo accused Mlonzi several months ago of trying to soil her name, arguing that he has actually been a subject of several investigations himself in his own country South Africa, to which he did not respond when confronted over those assertions by Daily Revelation.
Masebo had threatened legal action against Mlonzi over the many allegations he made against her over the $100 million deal to construct hospitals.
Mlonzi had told Daily Revelation that he kept information of the conversations with Mbachi Nkwazi, whom he said was introduced to him by Health minister Masebo as her contact when they met at her residence in Lusaka.
Mlonzi narrated how the $100 million deal to construct hospitals started under the PF administration, something he said was carried on by the UPND administration, with his company having even received a call that there was confirmation from the treasury that the funding was available and the contract could be signed between the government and TFM.
He said before he signed the contract he courteously called Mbachi as it was through that channel through which the process kicked off with the new administration.
“Now during that time just when the signing of the contract is done Mbachi tells me look there is a wedding for the minister’s son, now they wanted R2 million for the wedding,” Mlonzi said, but that he told Mbachi that his structure could not accommodate such things.
He said he escalated the matter to his colleagues in the system to look into the matter and that the whole contract was going to be cancelled if that were not done.
“They told me look let’s take it to review. They took to outside attorneys, they said look just write a friendly letter to your contacts and say look because we don’t know the prevailing issues in Zambia, in South Africa if something like this happens you should report it. Write a note to them that there was something so that you don’t get caught up. Then I reported it,” he said.
But Mlonzi said after he had reported the matter, they received a call from the Ministry of Health asking them to provide their profile and who they were, but that they laughed at the request as they have supplied medical equipment to Zambia for over 30 years.
He said he was told that the minister said she did not know TFM and has never even met them, saying afterwards they received a letter from dismissed Health permanent secretary Dr Magwende telling them of the intention to cancel the contract, amid TFM arguments on which exact clause they were referring to to cancel the contact, as the company had provided guarantees, work performance bonds, and had done everything through the banks and were compliant in terms of the contract.
Mlonzi said the argument was that the government wanted to cancel because priorities had changed as the new government was looking at things differently from the previous government, but that TFM did not still understand as they even had to redesign everything at their cost before signing the contract.
He said they were later referred to the Attorney General who they wrote to through their lawyers but that nobody has answered them from the time they started writing, eight letters he said, in total.
Mlonzi said following through on that, Mbachi sent him a WhatsApp message saying “my brother don’t blame anybody. It’s your own call what is happening.”
Asked on information that his company had furnished State House with a video showing him meeting Masebo, Mlonzi said since the matter was going to court, he had been advised not to comment on certain information and therefore would not answer that question.
But asked if he was ready to travel to Zambia and face Masebo in court over his claims, Mlonzi said he was 100 percent prepared at any time, saying he had reported all the information he was divulging now and the other confidential information to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) voluntarily.
He said they reported the matter the moment it happened without being asked by ACC, and that if they did that they would back their assertions.
He claimed that he had met Mbachi both in Zambia and South Africa, insisting that the first time he met Mbachi was through Masebo at her residence, saying Diangamo was there when Masebo allegedly told him to deal with Mbachi.
“There was a further demand. This R2 million was just a start. This was just for the wedding. There was a further R5 million. I said no, this is madness. It’s really, really madness,” Mlonzi said, insisting that he had correspondence with him via WhatsApp even giving instructions. “That’s why I was saying that I am surprised when the UPND spokesperson says we don’t have proof.”
Contacted for his reaction, Mbachi said he has been advised by his lawyers not to respond to questions from any journalist as the matter was going to court.
Efforts to talk to Masebo herself then and now have failed as he line has gone unanswered.
In a letter dated May 15, 2022 written to Mlonzi’s agent Jim Belemu, the executive director, Mahogany Air, Mlonzi stated that the request to purchase a vehicle and facilitation fees for Masebo for the hospital tender to be successful was highly irregular.
He stated that the corruption must be reported involving Masebo.
The Ministry of Health had put up a tender for the proposed construction and supply of equipment under reference MOH/SP/SP/W/005/20 for a 150 bed capacity infectious diseases hospital.
President Hakainde Hichilema fired permanent secretary Dr George Magwende over this matter involving $100 million Covid hospital.
TFM was established in 1966. It is comprised of 11 different companies around South Africa with a National footprint providing sales, service, parts and manufacturing capabilities.
