Sports, arts & culture minister Zizi Kodwa has been arrested over alleged corruption and bribery linked to IT services group EOH Holdings and appeared in court to face charges on Wednesday.

Kodwa, who was arrested on Tuesday, appeared in court and was granted bail of R30 000 after pleading not guilty.

News24 quoted Hawks spokesman Brigadier Thandi Mbambo as saying: “We can confirm that two individuals have been arrested following the Zondo commission recommendations on state capture. The two are to appear at Palm Ridge specialised commercial crimes court on charges of corruption.”

Kodwa has been linked to former EOH executive Jehan Mackay, who is alleged to have channelled payments of R1.6-million to Kodwa, News24 reported. Mackay was also arrested and appeared in court alongside Kodwa on Wednesday.

TechCentral reported in 2020 that Mackay had taken centre stage in corruption allegations involving payments to senior ANC figures, including Kodwa, who was the party’s national spokesman at the time.

Suspicious payments were made by Mackay, from his personal bank account, to Kodwa (who now serves as sports minister) and to Siyabulela Sintwa, a former personal assistant to ex-President Jacob Zuma at the ANC’s Luthuli House headquarters, evidence introduced at the judicial commission of inquiry into state capture showed.

EOH subsidiary Tactical Software Solutions (TSS) – founded by Mackay and his father Danny and sold to EOH in 2011 for R130.5-million – allegedly paid off corrupt politicians by making payments to Mackay’s personal bank account at FNB, from which he then transferred money to various ANC bigwigs, supposedly for favours for winning government contracts.

Payments

Details of the payments were made in a submission to the commission of inquiry by law firm ENSafrica, which was commissioned by EOH to investigate malfeasance in its public sector IT contracts after TechCentral reported in February 2019 about Microsoft’s decision to terminate its licence agreements with EOH over a dodgy software-supply agreement involving the South African department of defence.

Zizi Kodwa is appearing with his co-accused former EOH boss Jehan Mackay.

Mackay tells the court that he can afford to pay bail of R30, 000 and that he does not have previous convictions.

Mackay was arrested today. @SowetanLIVE pic.twitter.com/dk99oqksFu

— ❤The journalist ❤ (@Moloi_Herman1) June 5, 2024

ENSafrica’s evidence showed suspicious payments from Mackay’s personal bank account took place between 26 May 2015 and 29 June 2017 and included various payments to a “Kodwa” (R295 000 in total) and a “Sintwa” (R291 600). Powell testified to the commission that “Kodwa” referred to Zizi Kodwa, and “Sintwa” to Zuma’s former personal assistant at Luthuli House, Siyabulela Sintwa.