Many people will find this preposterous, but Durban businessman Abdul Malek says he lent President Jacob Zuma his Morningside mansion as an act of "charity".This week the low-profile Malek, 74, who made his money selling cars and investing in commercial property, told The Tribune he let Zuma's wife, Nompumelelo MaNtuli, use his Innes Road, Durban, house rent-free for five years because he felt sorry for Zuma.
MaNtuli is still there and he says he isn't about to kick her out.
Malek recently went head to head with Zuma facilitator Erwin Ullbricht, who accused him of trying to evict MaNtuli.
Ullbricht says he and Zuma's son, Mxolisi Saady Zuma, signed the lease on the house at R12 000 a month, but there was an understanding that no money would change hands.
Malek, speaking from his modest office in Umgeni Road, said he never expected Erwin to pay the rent, because "he's got no money".
Malek is anxious to put to rest the story that he tried to evict MaNtuli and her two children.
"I tried to get hold of Zuma, but he was in Zimbabwe this week. It's not true that I tried to evict her. She phoned me in January to say she had found another place, in Umhlanga or La Lucia, so I sent Erwin a letter telling him to make sure everything was cleared out by March. But then her other place fell through.
"I won't kick her out now, I can't do that, she's been there five years."
Malek said he couldn't get hold of MaNtuli to put the record straight. He said he hadn't been able to raise her on the phone and attempts to visit her at the house proved futile, because there was a chain on the gate.
Malek said he lived in a house in Overport with his wife and daughter. It's not as fancy as the Innes Road house, or as big.
Asked to explain his generosity to the president's wife, he said: "This is charity. He's got no money, but he's a good man. Some ANC guys are very wealthy people. Take Tokyo (Sexwale) and (Cyril) Ramaphosa. They've done well.
"Things have gone well for me, so I give back. I help widows and orphans. I'm not a friend of rich people. They are only for themselves. God has been good to me. What you sow, you reap."
Malek said he has never given Zuma cash and claimed that he had derived no benefit from his association with the president.
"I have no business with him or any members of his family. Nothing."
Malek said he didn't want to do business with the government.
He had received "absolutely nothing... not even a box of chocolates", in return for letting MaNtuli use the house, even though market rental was more than R600 000 (R10 000 a month for five years with no rental escalation).Malek described the five-bedroom house as "lovely". He said he recently offered to sell it to Zuma, but the president declined.
He had come to Zuma's aid because he thought he was being unfairly treated by former president Thabo Mbeki. And the house he had bought as an investment was empty.
Malek said Ullbricht, who he didn't know at the time, introduced them. '
"You can't find a better man than Zuma," said Malek.
- Sunday Tribune
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