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Former ANC treasurer-general Mathews Phosa has been accused of doing what he accused Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza of doing – buying a witness to testify for him in a R10 million lawsuit.
City Press has seen more than 400 text messages, which show Phosa gave money to his former butler, Jan Venter, who claimed he saw Phosa and his associate Nick Elliot fabricating a report in which Mabuza was accused of being a former apartheid spy.
Venter later changed his story and said Mabuza paid him to lie.
Phosa, however, admits to having sent the SMSes and paying Venter, but says it was a loan and disputes that he paid him to lie.
Phosa appeared to have had the upper hand in a defamation lawsuit brought against him by Mabuza in the North Gauteng High Court – which is premised on the spy report – until Venter’s latest about-turn.
So confident was Phosa of victory that he approached the court in November to set the soonest possible trial date so the matter could be concluded.
He told City Press that Mabuza’s case “had no leg to stand on” because Venter was on his side. The trial has been set down for May 9.
But this week Venter’s mother, Vernie (68), told City Press her son will testify for Mabuza instead, after Phosa reneged on promises he made to the family.
Speaking from her retirement village in Gauteng, Vernie said she rued persuading her son to reconcile with the politician-turned-businessman after Phosa bought her flowers and chocolates, and promised to take care of the family if Venter withdrew his affidavit about the spy report.
Venter declined to comment, but Vernie forwarded City Press 409 text messages reflecting conversations between her and Phosa, as well as others between herself and a number of Phosa’s associates, including his personal assistant, Debbie Burnett.
City Press has verified the cellphone numbers.
The conversations appear to show that Phosa:
» Promised Venter a new job after a press conference last November at which Venter alleged Mabuza’s lawyer, Ian Small-Smith, paid him to lie against Phosa;
» Sent two of his associates – known to the family as Matabane and Mothiba – to give Venter money for food;
» Paid Venter’s rent; and
» Paid for Venter’s divorce lawyers.
Vernie said Phosa paid her son’s travel costs to come to Johannesburg for the media conference and also put herself, her son, her grandson and a nephew up at a guesthouse in Lanseria for four weeks.
After that, Phosa rented the family a house on a farm and sent one of his employees to collect a grocery list from them every week.
But then Phosa allegedly stopped paying for the family’s expenses, as well as for Vernie’s high blood pressure pills.
“I want the truth to be known and end the myth that Phosa is a wonderful man who wants to help everybody. He promised Jan a job starting in January and did not give [it to] him. My son sold everything he had and lost his wife because of Phosa’s empty promises,” she said.
“When he is in a corner, he makes promises, and when he gets what he wants, he drops people like a hot potato. I regret persuading Jan to make peace with Phosa. Jan will tell the truth in court and Phosa will not like it. Even if Phosa paid him R1 million, Jan will tell the truth,” she fumed.
Venter initially sided with Mabuza in March last year after Phosa fired him, forcing him to leave his position as butler at the Phosa family home outside Hazyview.
The spy report, which Venter claimed he saw Phosa drafting, alleged that Mabuza spied on senior ANC leaders, including President Jacob Zuma, between 1985 and 1993 on behalf of the apartheid government. Mabuza was, according to the report, code-named PN485.
Phosa laid four theft charges and instituted a civil claim against Venter for about R53 500, and also instituted perjury and defamation cases against him when the row erupted. As part of the deal with Venter, Phosa promised to withdraw all the charges.
PHOSA RESPONDS
“Jan has signed affidavits on his own, in my absence. No one paid him to do that,” Phosa said.
Phosa denied he rented a property for Venter or promised him a job. He said any money he gave him was a loan, which Venter undertook in writing to repay.
“Jan owes me R10 000 as settlement for what he still owes me and he must pay by January 2016.
“We have a long list of SMSes from him and his mother pleading and begging for money,” Phosa said.
“When it was not given, they made all sorts of threats.”
Phosa said Venter pleaded with him to drop the criminal charges of theft and fraud he laid against him, and the only meeting he had with him was recorded.
“He, on his own, spilt the beans. He is welcome to testify for whoever.
“At the press conference, he read from his typed and written statement,” he said.
Phosa said Venter gave him the names of people working for State Security Minister David Mahlobo, as well as President Zuma, saying they were communicating with him to devise plans to bring Phosa down.
“I asked him to apologise to the president for lying and I thought the president’s name was being abused. His own mother begged me to meet and forgive him,” Phosa said.
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