Gangster State

culture and recreation. My source explained that Leeto maintained
close ties with Mpambani after her tenure as mayor, and that she
sometimes acted as a facilitator for some of Mpambani’s deals in the
Free State. This may have been the reason why she was included in the
asbestos auditing scheme, the source suggested. After Mpambani’s
death, Leeto posted the following comment on Facebook: ‘I am so hurt.
Igo was like a younger brother to me.’
Leeto sang a different tune after I asked her about her ties to the late
businessman. ‘There is no relationship between MEC Leeto and Mr
Igo Mpambani including his family other than the former being known
as a person who grew [up] and stayed in her neighbourhood in
Welkom,’ said her spokesperson. Leeto denied that she had ever
influenced a contract awarded to Mpambani, and she claimed she was
unaware of the asbestos audit deal. ‘MEC Leeto harbors no knowledge
of her name being used in any documents by Igo Mpambani and
further denies that she received a payment of R 2. 5 million from Igo
Mpambani.’
A senior ANC figure from the Welkom area told me that the Leeto
family was almost certainly involved in the asbestos auditing scheme.
‘When that deal was being put together, Mathabo’s husband, Lehana,
spoke about how he was going to be involved in the project,’ said this
source. ‘He went into quite a lot of detail, like the proposed sites near
Welkom and Odendaalsrus where the asbestos roofs would be safely
disposed of once the audit was finished.’
Leeto denied this. ‘The MEC has established from her husband that
the said allegations are devoid of any truth,’ said her spokesperson.
The source with whom I shared the spreadsheet suggested that ‘TZ’,
‘OM’ and ‘Diedricks’ were also government officials involved in the