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Mrs. Hongwe describes a situation where she was forced to think quickly and keep calm because she arrived without bodyguards or weapons, amidst a growing crowd.
“the situation was very fast... I will not lie about it... I came there without bodyguards, without any weapons... someone has to make sure that I do not allow this to escalate...”
Yusuf Kajee and Mrs. Hongwe had a conversation where Kajee said he knew her targets, including Mkhwanazi, and invited Mrs. Hongwe to meet in Sandton the following week on a Friday.
“General Khan who said you must meet at this place in Sandton the following week... Friday...”
General Khan invited Mrs. Hongwe to meet at his place in Sandton, promising to look after her and offering 10 million in cash and a security tender worth 2.2 million monthly, along with three bulletproof BMW cars for protection.
“what do you want? We can look after you... 10 bar in cash... security tender at Checkers worth 2.2 million every month... three BMW cars... bulletproof... protection”
Mrs. Hongwe refused to accept General Khan's offer to give her a security tender and cash, stating she does not operate that way.
“I replied that I do not operate in that manner... no, no, I do not operate like that”
General Khan promised three bulletproof tinted BMW cars parked in the yard next to Mrs. Hongwe's bakkie to provide protection.
“there were three BMW cars that were window tinted and bullet proof... he then promised me... protection”
General Khan shifted tone and indicated calm and that he would give protection, but Mrs. Hongwe wanted to leave and refuse further discussion.
“I just noticed the change of tone and the character of the body... now I think they feel calm... I wanted to leave... no, no, sit down... I want to tell you something”
During the meeting, Yusuf Kajee mentioned having information on General Mkhwanaazi and helicopters, which Mrs. Hongwe was not interested in hearing.
“My brother upstairs has information... about General Mkhwanaazi... helicopters and a lot of stuff that I was not interested in listening”
Mrs. Hongwe was pursued to give information about General Mkhwanazi but she was sceptical as she never spoke about him and doubted where the information came from.
“he was trying to pursue me to the ngo after General Mkhwanazi with what he was going to give me. So I was very, very sceptical and even probing further of those information that he wants to give me, because at no stage we spoke, I spoke about General Mkhwanazi.”
A muscular man agreed to give information about a helicopter in a USB on Friday in Sandton but spoke very fast and unclearly, making it hard to list details.
“He only agreed that I have one and that he would package it in a USB for me and then give it to me on Friday. But this one, because of I was tired of listening to him, to be honest. I cannot recall exactly the words he was saying, but he was speaking again fast and very, a lot of things that I could not even listen to.”
Meeting planned to include Imran, Yusuf, and General Khan to discuss helicopter information in Sandton.
“The idea of the meeting was going to meet, I was supposed to meet Imran, Yusuf and Khan. That is how the meeting was going to be on that Friday, had I went to that meeting.”
Yusuf requested Mrs. Hongwe's contact details, which she refused, suspecting they might manipulate the location reflected on her phone and attempted to make her phone un-hackable.
“Yusuf requested my contact details, which I refused to provide. He was persistent, stating that they could change the location reflected on my phone. I declined this offer. It may also be important to note that my phone remained in the car throughout the meeting as I was apprehensive that it could be hacked.”
Yusuf promised to make Mrs. Hongwe's phone un-hackable and change phone location to countries like Brazil and Paris to prevent tracking.
“He ... said, no, if you are scared of us, we will not do anything. Actually, we will help you. We will make your phone un-hackable. When one tries to check it, it will reflect in Brazil, it will reflect in Paris, mention other countries while you are here in South Africa. That was the promise. He even mentioned that they would work on the SIM card in the phone if I give them my number, they would help me with that.”
Mrs. Hongwe felt that the meeting at the Ad Hoc was a plot to implicate her or control her to keep silent about probing Khan.
“that was my concern in this thing... this is a plot to get me to take cash or get myself implicated in whatever they want to implicate me or find a way to control me so that I can keep quiet in probing Khan.”
There were cameras in the boardroom and at the entrance door where Mrs. Hongwe entered for the meeting, suggesting monitoring of the meeting.
“when I sat down on my right hand side on the corner, there was a camera there on top. And on my left hand side again on the corner, there was a camera there on the corner. Including when we entered the gate, at that door there is a camera at the corner of the door. A very, very tiny camera, you might not see it if you are not looking. So those are things that I did take note of.”
Mrs. Hongwe felt the meeting offers were to implicate or control her to keep quiet.
“In many ways, I felt many things. Either implicate or find a way to control me.”
Mrs. Hongwe expressed concern over political influence and corruption in the justice system affecting credibility, and that politicians, police, and the public need to change the culture to improve South Africa.
“politicians have now a bad reputation because of such things. So I am one of those people who are trying to resuscitate our name and our credibility... when you go out, it is a standard norm that when somebody is arrested, they will tell you ... we will speak to the police, give them something...no, if you are going to court, do not worry, bring something, we will speak to the prosecutor or I know the judge...so it is those things that are standard in our cities and in our communities that this is a character, that politicians are like this, police are like this, and we need to change that so that we have a better South Africa.”
Mrs. Hongwe denies taking the 10 million offered and states she would have given it to charity and reported it to Ad Hoc as evidence of corruption.
“I was going to take that 10 million, go home with the 10 million, look for charities, look for the hobos in the street, give them money, and get to Ad Hoc and tell them that I took 10 million given by these people... But unfortunately, they had no money...”