23

Havana nights

A bagman is a person who collects or distributes illicitly gained money,
such as bribes to public officials. Igo Mpambani seemingly became a
bagman for Ace Magashule when the first millions from the Free State
government began to flow into the Blackhead–Diamond Hill joint bank
account.
Sources from the province’s political circles, including senior former
and current officials, told me that they increasingly saw the Sandton-
based businessman in Magashule’s company from around January
2015. These sources held varying views on Mpambani’s prominence
among the tribe of contractors, businesspeople and other moneymen
who seemed to orbit around the premier. One current MEC said he
knew that Mpambani was somehow linked to Magashule, but that he
was under the impression that the young businessman had played
second fiddle to Magashule’s more established business associates.
‘There would always be this group of hangers-on at ExCo meetings
and other gatherings. They all vied for Ace’s attention, some with more
success than others. I always thought Igo was a bit of a wannabe,’ this
official told me.
One of Magashule’s former confidants had a different opinion. ‘If Igo
was trying to get into Ace’s inner circle, he was making good progress,’
he told me. This impression is supported by documents in the IgoFiles.
In the nearly two years between Blackhead–Diamond Hill’s first
payment from the FSHS in December 2014 and the final transfer in
August 2016 , Mpambani was invited by Magashule’s office to several