Who Paid For Imogen Mashazi London trip?

From the R3.35 million private jet to a luxury shopping spree in London, this is the full story of former Ekurhuleni City Manager Imogen Mashazi’s controversial trip, the companies that paid for it, and the web of political connections and procurement deals that continue to raise questions.

⚠️ The Short Version

In July 2022, disgraced former Ekurhuleni City Manager Imogen Mashazi took a three-day private jet trip to London costing R3.35 million — more than her annual salary of R3.1 million. While Mashazi had never disclosed who paid for the flight, a Sunday Times investigation has now revealed that XET Solutions bankrolled the trip. The company had been awarded millions in contracts by Ekurhuleni during Mashazi’s tenure. The money flowed through politically connected businessman Ze Nxumalo’s ZIG Revenue Management before reaching charter company Onyx Aviation. The case raises serious questions about corruption, undue benefits to public officials, and the use of municipal contracts to fund lavish personal expenses.

🕒 Complete Timeline of Events

Here is the full chronology of the Mashazi jet saga, from the flight itself to the latest revelations:

2016

• December: Imogen Mashazi is appointed Ekurhuleni city manager, becoming the first woman to hold the position.

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2017–2022

• During Mashazi’s tenure, Ekurhuleni awards at least five contracts to XET Solutions (formerly OneConnect Technologies SA), all but one awarded before the London trip. A senior Ekurhuleni executive estimates the total value at “well into more than R100m”.

July 2022 — The London Trip

• July 19: XET Solutions deposits R5.75 million into ZIG Revenue Management’s account, with the reference “XET SOLUTIONS”.

• July 20: Onyx Aviation bills ZIG Revenue Management R3.35 million for the flight.

• July 23: ZIG Revenue Management transfers R1.5 million to Onyx Aviation with the reference “London trip”.

• July 26: ZIG Revenue Management transfers another R1.5 million to Onyx Aviation.

• July 28: Mashazi, her husband Bonginkosi Raymond Mashazi, and another couple fly from Lanseria Airport to Farnborough Airport outside London, via Accra, Ghana.

• July 31: The group returns to South Africa.

August 2022

• August 1: The remaining R350,000 is paid to Onyx Aviation to charter the Dassault Falcon 900EX.

2025

• July: Mashazi reaches retirement age and is compelled by councillors to step down.

• December: Mashazi testifies before the Madlanga Commission, displaying a “haughty and dismissive attitude” and repeatedly responding with “I don’t recall” and “no comment”. She admits failing to act on an IPID report recommending action against senior officials.

February 2026

• February 16: News24 first reports on the R3.5 million private jet trip, revealing Mashazi flew to London for a “shopping spree” and stayed at luxury hotels like the Corinthia. Mashazi denies the trip was state-funded but refuses to disclose who paid.

May 2026

• May 30: The Sunday Times exclusively reveals that XET Solutions paid for the trip, tracing the money through ZIG Revenue Management to Onyx Aviation.

• The Madlanga Commission approaches Onyx Aviation about the controversial charter. Onyx confirms it is “under engagement with the commission”.

The Benefactor: XET Solutions

XET Solutions (formerly OneConnect Technologies SA) was registered in 2014 and provides IT services. The company does not have a website, but its LinkedIn page describes it as a “leading business solutions provider that applies innovative technology and business expertise” with strategic partnerships in financial services, energy, and telecommunications.

Crucially, Ekurhuleni awarded XET Solutions at least five contracts over the past seven years, all awarded during Mashazi’s tenure as municipal manager. While the exact values are not publicly listed, a senior Ekurhuleni executive estimated the total at “well into more than R100 million”.

XET Solutions has also benefited from contracts awarded by the Ethekwini Metropolitan Municipality in Durban, valued at a combined R170 million over the past seven years.

Nelisiwe Xaba, the sole director of XET Solutions, denied that the flight constituted “gratification” for Mashazi. She stated: “XET Solutions maintains a strict corporate governance and ethics policy that expressly prohibits the provision of gratification, inducements, or any form of undue benefit to public officials.”

The Middleman: Ze Nxumalo

Ze Nxumalo is the politically connected founder and CEO of ZIG Holdings, a youth investment holding company. He has served as an independent adviser to SA Taxi, South Africa’s largest minibus taxi financier.

His political connections run deep:

• Julius Malema has publicly confirmed his friendship with Nxumalo, calling him “the child of Prof Nxumalo, the founder of the IFP”.

• Testimony before the Madlanga Commission has tied Nxumalo to powerful taxi bosses and figures allegedly connected to law enforcement and organised crime networks.

Crucially, ZIG Revenue Management — Nxumalo’s company — was the direct payer to Onyx Aviation. XET Solutions deposited R5.75 million into ZIG Revenue Management’s account, and Nxumalo’s company then paid Onyx Aviation the R3.35 million for the flight, pocketing the difference as commission.

Nxumalo claims he was asked by a businessman called Ntokozo Xaba to help get a better quote for a London flight. He says he chartered the jet for Xaba and only later found out that Mashazi and her husband had travelled on it. “I cannot remember exactly when I learnt that Mr Xaba was not going on the flight anymore, but it was definitely after I was paid and after I had paid Onyx,” Nxumalo said. He admitted he paid Onyx R3.35 million and kept the rest as commission.

Ntokozo Xaba became a director of XET Solutions in January 2026 but stepped down the following month. It is not immediately clear what his association with the company was back in July 2022. Xaba did not respond to questions.

📍 Key Players at a Glance

💰 Financial Trail: The Money Flow

The Sunday Times obtained both an invoice and bank statements tracing the money:

XET Solutions
     │
     │ R5.75m deposited (July 19, 2022)
     ▼
ZIG Revenue Management
     │
     │ July 23: R1.5m (ref: "London trip")
     │ July 26: R1.5m
     │ Aug 1:   R350,000
     ▼
Onyx Aviation
     │
     │ Total paid: R3.35m
     │ Ze Nxumalo keeps R2.4m as commission

🏛️ Beyond the Jet: Mashazi’s Troubled Legacy

The private jet trip is only one chapter in a broader story of controversy surrounding Mashazi’s leadership at Ekurhuleni.

• Madlanga Commission Testimony (December 2025): Mashazi was repeatedly reprimanded for her dismissive and combative attitude. She admitted failing to act on an IPID report recommending action against senior EMPD officials and could not produce evidence to back her own explosive claims.

• Luxury Lifestyle: Mashazi flaunted a taste for luxury watches and Hermès handbags worth hundreds of thousands of rand.

• Sexual Harassment Allegations: The commission heard evidence that serious allegations of sexual harassment and rape within the EMPD were effectively ignored under Mashazi’s watch.

• Legal Battle: After being forced into early retirement in July 2025, Mashazi is demanding the city pay her until her contract ends in 2027, claiming the decision cut her five-year contract short by two years.

📝 Official Responses

🔍 What Happens Next?

1. Madlanga Commission: The commission has already approached Onyx Aviation about the charter. Further testimony or findings may be released in the coming months.

2. Potential Legal Action: If the commission finds that the flight constituted “gratification” under the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, criminal charges could follow.

3. Contract Scrutiny: The full value of XET Solutions’ contracts with Ekurhuleni (estimated at over R100 million) and Ethekwini (R170 million) has not been publicly disclosed. Calls for transparency are likely to intensify.

4. Mashazi’s Legal Challenge: Mashazi continues to fight for her full salary and benefits until 2027, arguing her early retirement was unlawful.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Who ultimately paid for the R3.35 million private jet trip?
XET Solutions, an IT company that had been awarded millions in contracts by Ekurhuleni during Mashazi’s tenure.

Did Mashazi use public funds for the trip?
Mashazi has denied the trip was state-funded. However, the payer — XET Solutions — had active contracts with the municipality she led, raising questions about whether the flight constituted an undue benefit to a public official.

What is the Madlanga Commission?
A commission of inquiry investigating governance failures at Ekurhuleni, including allegations of corruption, fraud, and sexual misconduct within the EMPD.

What happened to Mashazi?
She was forced into early retirement in July 2025 after reaching retirement age. She is now demanding the city pay her until her contract ends in 2027.

Is XET Solutions still doing business with the government?
Yes. Ekurhuleni confirmed XET Solutions is still contracted to the metro. The company also has at least five contracts with the Ethekwini Metropolitan Municipality worth a combined R170 million.

📚 Sources

• Sunday Times: Inside Mashazi’s mysterious jet trip (May 30, 2026)

• News24: Imogen Mashazi’s glitzy spree (February 16, 2026)

• EWN: Mashazi contradicts herself at Madlanga Commission (December 1, 2025)

• SABC News: Mashazi reprimanded by Baloyi at Madlanga Commission (December 2, 2025)