“Former National Treasury director-general and Government Employees Pension Fund chairman Dondo Mogajane has resigned from all his professional roles and board positions following what he called “unfounded and malicious” allegations made by a convicted felon.
Mogajane, who was also the CEO of Moti Group, said he would be taking an extended sabbatical to focus on his personal well-being and spend time with his family.
In July this year, he was implicated in a corruption case by former VBS Mutual Bank chairman Tshifhiwa Matodzi.
Matodzi is serving a 15-year prison sentence for being the “mastermind” of money laundering, corruption, theft and fraud at the bank that led to its collapse in 2018 and the loss of about R2 billion.
His affidavit was released after he entered into a plea agreement with the National Prosecuting Authority. In it, he made allegations about several politicians and public officials, including Mogajane, whom he accused of accepting a R1-million bribe to avoid pressuring municipalities to withdraw illegal investments from the bank.
Mogajane vigorously denied the allegations when the affidavit was released, saying he had served the Treasury with “distinction, honesty, loyalty and humility”.
In a statement on Monday, Mogajane said he was confident his reputation would be restored.
“I believe in the importance of the right to a fair trial and remain confident that in time the truth will come out,” he said.
He will use his sabbatical to reflect on his career and write a memoir detailing his experiences in public service.
“As this chapter of my career closes, it is not the end of my story. This period marks a pause, not an end. In the future, I may decide to perhaps return to the private sector or even to politics,” he added.