Mothepu has 16 years experience in the financial services industry, specialising in infrastructure finance. Her major achievements include the debt financing and origination of SA’s airports for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, and acting as transaction adviser and debt originator for Transnet’s R12-billion club loan funding for the acquisition of 1064 locomotives as part of their MDS.
As CEO of Gupta-linked Trillian Financial Advisory, Mothepu witnessed and disclosed now documented improprieties that underwrote the systemic “capture” of key South African institutions.
Mothepu never chose to be a whistle-blower as is commonly understood by the phrase. But in the process of assisting the right platforms including former public protector Thuli Madonsela as well as various government and parliamentary initiatives, including the FBI; NPA, Hawks and AFU, she became a target for the captured quarters within SA.
Mothepu was the recipient of the Reconciliation Award for 2017 for her role in combating corruption and advancing reconciliation in SA from the Institute of Justice and Reconciliation.
Her efforts to expose State Capture and impropriety led to an onslaught of false and frivolous criminal charges, various legal litigation and two years of unemployment. Mothepu was deemed a political risk, skated on bankruptcy and has been unable to speak publicly to the matter for juridical reasons until now.