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Former president Jacob Zuma received over R1.5 million from Royal Security before leading the country, the Zondo Commission into State Capture heard on Wednesday.
The company paid Zuma an estimated R64 000 per month in the period leading up to his presidency. For four months after becoming president, the Commission heard, he continued to be on the company's payroll.
Roy Moodley, the billionaire businessman behind Royal Security, is also a known ANC benefactor and friend of Zuma. He was previously ward chair for the ANC's Umhlanga branch in KwaZulu-Natal, and the former president has socialised with him.
The Commission also heard on Wednesday that, around the time of Zuma's presidency, Royal Security received its first tender from the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa. To date, the Commission was told, it has been paid hundreds of millions of rands.
Royal Security is not the only Moodley-linked company to be connected to Prasa. News24 previously reported that Siyangena Technologies, a Pretoria-based company that won disputed contracts from the rail agency worth R4 billion, paid large sums of money to companies directly linked to Moodley.
Evidence leader Advocate Vas Soni told the Commission at the City of Johannesburg Old Council Chamber: "Between July 2007 and June 2009, an entity directly linked to Mr Moodley, Royal Security Propriety Limited, paid some R64 000 a month to Mr Jacob Zuma, until just about the time Mr. Zuma became president of the country in May 2009.
"The total amount that was paid by Royal Security to Mr Zuma in monthly instalments is more than R1.5 million. From 2010, Royal security began receiving contracts from Prasa and has so far been paid more than R471 million."
Corruption allegations linking the former president to the security company surfaced in 2017 in investigative journalist Jacques Pauw's book The President's Keepers - Those Keeping Zuma in Power and out of Prison.
Following this, then-leader of opposition party the DA Mmusi Maimane asked the Public Protector's office to investigate allegations that Zuma had received a second salary without declaring it to Parliament.
As it further investigates matters at Prasa, the commission is set to hear testimony from interim Chief Executive Officer of the rail agency's subsidiary Autopax, Tiro Holele. In the next few days, it will also hear from former Prasa board chair Khanyisile Kweyama, who will testify on allegations that Transport Minister Filike Mbalula dissolved the board to foster the appointment of current Prasa administrator Bongisizwe Mpondo.
* This article was updated at 13:48 on 12 March 2020 to reflect that the commission would hear from former board chair Khanyisile Kweyama, not former chair Popo Molefe.
