How many more in ANC benefited from Bosasa ‘gifts’?

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After the eight-day testimony of former Bosasa chief operations officer Angelo Agrizzi at the Zondo commission where he implicated senior ANC politicians in numerous underhanded deals with the facilities company, more people from the governing party are said to have unduly benefited at the instruction of Agrizzi and chief executive Gavin Watson. By the time Agrizzi concluded his explosive testimony on Tuesday, party heads like Nomvula Mokonyane, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Lindiwe Sisulu and Vincent Smith had been alleged to have had corrupt dealings with Bosasa. From the onset, the ANC has been quick to differentiate between party and person, stating those implicated were named in their individual capacities. But according to Agrizzi, Bosasa catered for numerous ANC rallies, most notably paying for the ruling party’s 107th birthday cake. Agrizzi told the commission, headed by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, that senior ANC leaders such as Mapisa-Nqakula and Sisulu were among the shareholders of Dyambu Holdings, the company that later became widely known as Bosasa.

It now trades as African Global Operations.

While Mapisa-Nqakula confessed her link to the company, which she entered into the Members’ Register of Interests, Sisulu was quick to dismiss the claim and challenged Agrizzi to disprove hers.

Figures from R50 000 stacked into bags for Mokonyane and bribes of R100 000 for Smith were reported to the deputy chief justice.

Bosasa allegedly even assisted the daughters of the two ANC members with care hire and university fees.

Now it has been claimed that, on top of the high-end Christmas shopping list for Mokonyane and a loan-that-was-not-a-loan to Smith, Minister of Environmental Affairs Mokonyane benefited from untoward security upgrades at her home funded by Bosasa.

Agrizzi denied giving a loan to Smith, an influential ANC MP. Agrizzi placed it on record that in 2016, Smith’s R45 000 bribe - paid monthly - increased to R100 000.

The employees sent to carry out these special projects were instructed to go dressed in mufti, so as to disguise their relationship with Bosasa.

On Thursday, Richard le Roux, the former head of special projects at Bosasa, told the commission that Mokonyane and Cabinet colleagues Gwede Mantashe and deputy Minister of Correctional Services Thabang Makwetla benefited from security upgrades to their homes paid for by Bosasa.

Mantashe is ANC national chairperson. He allegedly had work done for free at three of his properties - one in Boksburg, costing Bosasa about R300 000 and two in Kala and Elliot.

And, according to an ANC position articulated from the time of suspended national spokesman Pule Mabe to the current acting spin doctor Zizi Kodwa, they are named as individuals and “the ANC is not on trial”.

Ntime Skhosana, speaking for Makwetla, said: “We have issued a public statement to clarify the matter long before the Zondo commission.

“We have a healthy respect for due process. The Zondo commission must be given space to conduct and complete its assignment without political sideshows.”

The statement Skhosana referred to was issued on September 8, 2018.

It states: “During the festive period of 2016, on the 5th of January to be exact, the deputy minister found his house burgled on his return from Cape Town. He was anxious to have it urgently secured, to reinstall an alarm system and to put up an electric fence. He could not get any security infrastructure company at the time to do the job, because they were still closed for holidays. Around the same time he had received a request for an urgent meeting from Gavin about his displeasure regarding how the department was treating his company. When the deputy minister told him about the burglary problem at his house, he told him that his company also deals with domestic security and he could assist. To his relieve (sic), he promised to dispatch a team immediately to attend to his problem. They agreed, but he asked him to send a quote first.”

It adds: “Makwetla pleaded with Mr Watson, not once, not twice, not thrice, but continuously ever since, Mr Watson has simply, flatly refused to send him the bill for the job.”

Skhosana says they stand by this assertion. It appears whatever action may come will not be from the ANC.

The Special Investing Unit says it has noted the developments and testimonies “in particular reference to the SIU Report relating to the Department of Correctional Services Investigations involving Bosasa”.

“To this end, the head of SIU: Advocate Andy Mothibi has initiated an internal process and set up a Governance Committee chaired by the SIU Chief Governance Officer, Advocate Mahlodi Muofhe. The committee will collate, consider and present to the Head of SIU for decision whether; flowing from these testimonies; there may be aspects which fall within the SIU legislative mandate so that where applicable and if necessary, the SIU commences without delay with our own internal processing procedures to either amend the applicable proclamations to commence with further investigations. Should it be imperative that new Proclamations be required, such proclamations will be processed swiftly.”

Sunday Independent