DURBAN – One of the ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa’s biggest supporters in KwaZulu- Natal, and the convenor for the party’s Provincial Task Team (PTT), has been charged with corruption and money laundering.
Mike Mabuyakhulu, who is the formers MEC for economic development and tourism, appeared in the Durban Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday, together with three other accused.
The former MEC stands accused of accepting money while he was MEC, after a R28 million North Sea Jazz Festival was cancelled in 2012.
The court was told that companies headed up by Manbuyakhulu’s co-accsed were paid, despite the festival being cancelled. Formal charges include: fraud, corruption, theft and money laundering.
In the past, there have been allegations of political interference since Mabuyakhulu was appointed to head the PTT.
Mabuyakhulu got kicked out of the provincial government in 2016 when the ANC in KwaZulu- Natal fired supporters of the Senzo Mchunu faction. He was part of the camp aligned Mchunu, which lost at the 2017 ANC conference.
He campaigned openly alongside Mchunu for Cyril Ramaphosa building up to the ANC December conference. A well-dressed Mabuyakhulu was all smiles as he appeared in court shortly after 12:00.
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