The former bodyguard of ex-minister Malusi Gigaba was faced with tough questioning before the Zondo commission over why he told the inquiry that Gigaba had received large sums of cash in the boot of his car from the Gupta’s Saxonwold compound.

The former protection officer, who is under identity protection and only identified as Witness 3, was on Monday being cross-examined on the damning allegations he made in his testimony before the commission last year.

Witness 3 said Gigaba had visited the Guptas about six to seven times in his presence where he allegedly left with a bag full of cash, with some of the money used to pay for his suits.

He also told the commission Gigaba had insisted that the Gupta visits not be recorded in his diary and on the logbook as official trips.

Representing Gigaba, advocate Richard Solomon SC pointed out that Witness 3 had made no reference to Gigaba receiving money from the Guptas in his original written statement to the commission, despite making the allegation when he gave oral evidence.

Witness 3 told the commission that while he initially did not know where Gigaba’s large sums of cash came from, he later “connected the dots” during the visits and concluded that the money came from the Gupta compound.

Solomon pointed out that Witness 3 had not seen Gigaba coming out with the money, even though he had allegedly seen it in his car.