Mpambani’s contributions to the ruling party, including the bus
service and the direct donation in July 2016 , came to about R 400 000.
MEC Mathabo Leeto’s non-profit organisation got at least R 100 000.
Mpambani also forked out more than R 50 000 for her and her
entourage’s stay at Sun City for the 2015 SAMAs, according to the
IgoFiles.
Finally, over the course of two years, Mpambani withdrew almost R 3
million from various ATMs and bank tellers each time Blackhead–
Diamond Hill received funds from the FSHS. He withdrew most of this
cash in Sandton, oftentimes shortly before driving to the Free State. Of
the roughly R 500 000 he withdrew in Bloemfontein, more than R 300
000 came from the FNB ATM around the corner from Magashule’s
official residence. Magashule’s diary, meanwhile, indicates that he was
mostly at home when Mpambani made such withdrawals.
When I met one of Mpambani’s former business partners in mid-
2018 , I asked him if there was any reason why Mpambani drove
around with large amounts of cash. Did he perhaps need to pay wages?
‘There would have been no reason why Igo would have needed to
travel with that much cash,’ this person told me. ‘He was a consultant,
not a contractor or project manager. He didn’t pay wages or anything
like that.’
‘So where did all that cash go?’ I asked him. He was silent for a while.
When he spoke again, he looked worried. ‘I think you know the
answer, but I am not going to go into details,’ he said. ‘If I do that, I
could end up like Igo.’
No sooner had he received the final payment for the asbestos audit
contract than Mpambani set his sights on looting even more money
from the FSHS. In June 2016 , the department advertised a contract for