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Bongani Bongo Back in Court: Bail Granted After Corruption Charges Linked to Eskom Scandal

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Picture: Lindsay Dentlinger

Former State Security Minister Bongani Bongo has been granted R5,000 bail after appearing in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on corruption charges. The case, dating back to October 2017, revolves around allegations that Bongo attempted to interfere with a meeting of the Eskom board and the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises.

According to Hawks spokesperson Col Katlego Mogale, Bongo allegedly approached a committee member between September and October 2017 with a proposal to obstruct a sitting where Eskom’s board was to account for its actions. Bongo allegedly suggested that the meeting could be blocked if the committee member agreed to name a price for “gratification.”

This marks the latest chapter in a legal saga for Bongo, who was initially acquitted of corruption charges in February 2021 by the then Judge President of the Western Cape, John Hlophe. However, the ruling was overturned in May 2024 by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), which ordered Bongo to restart his corruption trial. Acting judge John Smith ruled that Hlophe had made errors of law, and had those mistakes not been made, there was sufficient evidence to convict Bongo.

Bongo, who has maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings, responded to the SCA’s decision by stating, “I was not judging the case. If they want me back, I will go. I don’t have a problem. I am a law-abiding citizen, so if the judgment found something wrong, then I must go back to court.”

At the time of his acquittal, Bongo’s defense argued that there was insufficient evidence to convict him, particularly regarding claims that he had attempted to bribe Eskom inquiry’s evidence leader, Ntuthuzelo Vanara.

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