Gangster State

and ‘CUT’, Mpambani made eight successive payments totalling just
over R 240 000 from 605 Consulting’s account. Each payment was
identified by a different student number and labelled ‘student bursary
dona[tion]’. Shortly thereafter, Cholota emailed Mpambani. ‘I received
all the proof of payments. Thank you very much and may the good
Lord bless u,’ she wrote.
I showed this information to a few sources who had insight into
Magashule’s way of doing business. Apparently his unofficial bursary
schemes were an open secret. My sources alleged that Magashule
promised to cover the university or college fees of scores of young
people in the province. He did not pay these fees himself, but instead
directed businesspeople who had clinched government contracts to do
so.
I showed the Excel spreadsheet to some of these sources. They told
me something that resonated with what I had repeatedly heard while
researching Magashule’s dealings. ‘Don’t just look for money flowing
into Magashule’s own pockets,’ one told me. ‘After he had helped you
get a contract, he would take his cut in the form of something like a
credit facility. In this case, he would have told the asbestos guy when
and how to make certain payments until the R 10 million was finished.’
Another source, a former associate, encouraged me to look out for
possible cash payments. ‘Ace likes cash, because it doesn’t leave much
of a trail. He always has lots of cash with him,’ alleged this person. The
IgoFiles appear to support both these claims.
On 6 May 2015 , Cholota emailed Mpambani with another special
request. ‘Following the discussion with Ipeleng Morake, Premier
requested that you pay full amount of R 470 000 and the remaining
amount of R 30 000 to one of the SRC President in Cuba,’ she wrote,